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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24848482">Something New Under the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deweydrops/pseuds/deweydrops'>deweydrops</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Four Seasons- A Modern Logyn AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amusement Parks, Beach House, Beaches, Birthday, Boats and Ships, Bonfires, Diners, Dinosaurs, Dogs, Dolphins, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Dinners, Family Issues, Festivals, Fireworks, Fluff, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hotels, Humor, Insecurity, Insomnia, Interns &amp; Internships, Lawyers, Library science, Light Angst, Loss of Parent(s), Loss of pet (past), Meet the Family, Moving In Together, Museums, Non-Explicit Sex, Nostalgia, Past Child Abuse, Road Trips, Seasickness, Storms, Summer, Summer Camp, Summer Vacation, Swimming, Swimming Pools, Table tennis, Therapy, Thunder and Lightning, Zoo, arts festivals, grad school, red pandas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:48:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>49,555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24848482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deweydrops/pseuds/deweydrops</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Summertime follow-up to Ever Since We Met. Loki and Sigyn's deepening relationship finds the two of them discovering more about each other and developing a future together. Yet the past often casts long shadows. Can the two of them find a way to enjoy and hold on to their new place in the sun? Modern AU that borrows elements from both the MCU and Norse Myths, with a heaping helping of creative license.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Sigyn, Loki/Sigyn (Marvel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Four Seasons- A Modern Logyn AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Her Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Heavy rains had fallen over the city all night, leaving the morning air foggy and damp. Yet the day would warm quickly once the sun rose- you could tell as soon as you stepped outside, inhaling the late June air with the scent of fresh rainfall and hot, wet concrete lingering with the clouds. The early breeze hinted at the incoming heat waiting on the horizon.</p>
<p>High above the city, in a condo overlooking the river, two dozing figures lay curled on a large bed, a sateen-cotton sheet haphazardly draped over their bare skin. One: tall, pale, lean and angular, with thick waves of long dark hair that fell about his shoulders curled by the humidity, his lips pursed as though even fast asleep he were solving a puzzle. The other: small, freckled, curved, and soft, her back covered by a curtain of strawberry blonde curls with prominent golden streaks newly added by the sun, the corners of her mouth upturned in a small smile, as though she were enjoying her dreams. The dawn peeked through the heavy blackout curtains, not quite reaching their closed eyes.</p>
<p>But the first little hint of light was enough to rouse the smaller of two. A current of anticipation ran through her, as her eyes opened in the pre-dawn. She looked up at her sleeping companion, eager to know what he had planned for her today.</p>
<p>Sigyn would spend all morning cuddling in bed if she could, whereas Loki, never quite able to turn his internal engines all the way off, was usually up and about first thing. His wheels immediately turned the moment he opened his eyes, never pausing even on their only shared day off. But lately, more often than not, Sigyn's way prevailed.</p>
<p>But on this morning, Sigyn rose first, stretching and throwing on one of Loki's old shirts while luring Loki out of bed with gentle tug on his forearm.</p>
<p>“Awake already?” Loki murmured, cracking open one eye. “I wonder what has you so excited?”</p>
<p>“I ought to ask you that,” said Sigyn, sitting beside him. She leaned over to entice him with a kiss. He returned her affections with an intense fervor. “This birthday plan of yours is all a big mystery to me. Besides, I want to get an early start on my special day.”</p>
<p>“Technically your special day is Tuesday, love,” said Loki. He'd wanted to plan a surprise for her birthday, but since she worked Tuesday evenings, he'd set his plans for Sunday instead. Sigyn was eager to know what he had in store- he'd told her to dress comfortably, with good walking shoes, and that the thing was a day trip, but remained tight-lipped any other details. Each guess of hers proved incorrect, and he loved confounding her ever more as her list of possible surprises dwindled. “But I will be very happy to indulge you today.”</p>
<p>“You can also indulge me on Tuesday if you like.”</p>
<p>Loki winked, pushing back his covers. “Let's focus on today for now, darling.”</p>
<p>As coffee brewed in the french press, Loki busied himself making french toast, Sigyn's favorite breakfast, while Sigyn assisted by slicing up some strawberries. Her mind turned over possibilities for Loki's surprise for her, though so far she'd been wrong.</p>
<p>“The conservatory?”</p>
<p>Loki chuckled as he flipped the toast in the skillet. “No.”</p>
<p>“Valhalla?”</p>
<p>Loki shook his head. “Not today.”</p>
<p>“...that indoor water park a little ways north?”</p>
<p>“Ah, but that would involve a swimsuit, thus giving the whole thing away.”</p>
<p>“Hmm...is it something I mentioned wanting to do?”</p>
<p>“You <em>have</em>, actually. But the activity, not the place.”</p>
<p>“How far away is it?”</p>
<p>“A little under two hours' drive.”</p>
<p>“In what direction?”</p>
<p>“In the direction towards the surprise and away from here.”</p>
<p>“Loki!” Sigyn playfully swatted his arm with a nearby tea towel. “You know what I meant by that!”</p>
<p>“Lest you forget, my love,” Loki said, sliding the french toast slices onto two plates. “I have endured countless depositions and argued plenty of cases. Semantics are a lawyer's best friend.”</p>
<p>“Semantics may have met their match compared to my research skills,” Sigyn playfully countered.</p>
<p>“We'll see about that,” Loki said with a sly grin.</p>
<p>After they'd finished the french toast and cleared the plates, they took to the large sofa in the living room, stretching out together while they finished their coffees as the sunlight overtook the condo. Sigyn breathed in deep as she leaned her head against Loki's shoulder, a contented sight escaped her lips.</p>
<p>“Of course, even if we only did this all day I would be perfectly happy,” she remarked.</p>
<p>“<em>Now</em> she tells me,” said Loki with facetious scoff.</p>
<p>Sigyn giggled. “But I'm sure I will enjoy your plans just as much.”</p>
<p>He nuzzled the top of her head. “Would you like an early present?”</p>
<p>Sigyn glanced up. “Okay!”</p>
<p>Loki left, heading into his office before returned with a small, rectangular box. He placed the box on the coffee table in front of Sigyn. “There's...something of a hint at the big surprise with this.”</p>
<p>“Is that so?” Intrigued, Sigyn opened the velveteen box, gasping at the contents. Inside, a garnet heart pendant on a long silver chain glimmered in the light.</p>
<p>“Oh, Loki,” Sigyn gaped, holding up the necklace. “It's beautiful!” Her lower lip quivered slightly as she looked it over.</p>
<p>“Are you alright? Do you like it?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I love it,” Sigyn replied, taking a deep breath. “...it's just that no one's ever given me jewelry like this before. I've...I've never felt like the type of person someone would buy it for. This is all so new. A part of me feels as though...I don't deserve such fine jewelry.”</p>
<p>“Sigyn,” Loki smiled at her, his beloved. “It may be new but you are very much deserving. I do not wish to overwhelm you but I would lavish you with everything your heart desired if I could.” A pang of guilt hit him. It wasn't so long ago he'd cruelly pushed her out of his life, in this very condo, leaving her fleeing in tears. By some miracle, she'd forgiven him, welcoming him back into her life, yet he still felt undeserving of her love. Determined to make up for making her cry, he just wanted to make her happy. To make her smile.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Loki,” Sigyn smiled before she kissed him. “Would this be something to wear at...whatever we're doing today?”</p>
<p>“In a manner of speaking, it would be rather appropriate,” Loki said slyly. “Has it given you any more clues?”</p>
<p>“Hmm...the glass gallery?”</p>
<p>“The glass gallery isn't two hours away from here.”</p>
<p>“It is if there's enough traffic.”</p>
<p>“We're talking two hours in plain, regular traffic.”</p>
<p>She snapped her fingers. “One of those antique places!”</p>
<p>Loki laughed. “Still quite cold, my sweet. All will be revealed in good time.”</p>
<p>Sigyn bit her lip, her mind running through any places she hadn't thought of yet. As she pondered, she unlatched the delicate clasp from the pendant chain. Loki offered his hand. “Allow me.”</p>
<p>He took the pendant, moving behind her chair and sliding the garnet over her head and onto her neck. She moved her hair off her shoulder while Loki secured the clasp. The heart sat right at her collarbone.</p>
<p>Loki looked her over. “Perfection,” he remarked as he traced along her d<span>écolletage</span><span>. “Such finery suits you.” </span></p>
<p>Sigyn caressed Loki's cheek. “<em>You</em> suit me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Not long after, Loki drove her out to the secret location. He headed south, over the river, in the direction Sigyn did not know quite so well. Gradually, the parts of the city Sigyn recognized faded into the distance as they reached the highway. Once they passed over the state line, Sigyn's confusion only deepened.</p>
<p>Loki pulled off at an exit for one of the larger cities, passing by signs for casinos, hotels, parks, and even a railroad museum. Each time Sigyn thought she knew where they were headed, they'd pass right on by.</p>
<p>“You've planned this very well, as I have absolutely no idea where we are.”</p>
<p>“Patience, my sweet Sigyn. We're getting close.”</p>
<p>In time, the city gave way to a long road leading up wide, sloping hills. Signs for “Vingolf Resort”, at first sparse, grew more prominent. The closer they came, a wide expanse of golf courses, hiking paths, and a few people horseback riding came into view.</p>
<p>“Golfing?” Sigyn could not recall ever mentioning a desire to golf in front of Loki.</p>
<p>Loki shook his head.</p>
<p>“Hiking?”</p>
<p>“Not quite.”</p>
<p>Eventually they pulled into a parking lot where only a few other cars were parked. Above them, signs for Vingolf Zoo pointed up a walking path.</p>
<p>“A zoo?” Sigyn followed Loki out of the car. From the looks of it, this zoo was smaller than the one near their city where she'd spent lots of time growing up. She wondered why Loki had taken her all the way out here instead.</p>
<p>“You're getting there,” said Loki. “But there's a slight twist.”</p>
<p>They walked up the wooded path. As they came over the hill, the unassuming entrance came into view. The zoo wasn't open just yet, and Loki and Sigyn were the only two people nearing the front gate. As they waited, Sigyn looked around. Signs near the front gate posted the hours, the zoo's AZA accreditation, and banners for various attractions were hung up along the fence. She spotted a banner with a red panda and the phrase “Animal Encounters” over the top. She smiled at the prospect of seeing a red panda while they were here. Beyond the entrance lay a sprawling park hidden from the main road, though Sigyn couldn't quite see what lay in store aside from a few vague signs pointing in various directions. Her gaze found its way back to the red panda banner as she wondered what the slight twist would be.</p>
<p>From the corner of her eye, she spotted Loki's knowing smirk.</p>
<p>Then, all the pieces clicked into place.</p>
<p>The red garnet.</p>
<p>The red panda on the poster.</p>
<p>She pointed to the poster. “We're doing that?”</p>
<p>Loki grinned.</p>
<p>Sigyn's jaw dropped. “I'm...I'm meeting a red panda? Up close?”</p>
<p>Loki beamed. “Ta-da!”</p>
<p>Sigyn clapped her hands and squeaked. “Really?”</p>
<p>Loki chuckled. “Surprised?”</p>
<p>“I never would have guessed...I didn't even know about this place.” Sigyn grasped Loki's forearm in excitement. “How...how did you...”</p>
<p>“I <em>may</em> have been clued in to your fondness for the creatures.”</p>
<p>Not long ago, they'd been watching a nature documentary late one evening. Loki had just drifted off to sleep when Sigyn suddenly squealed. He'd jolted awake just in time to see Sigyn cooing as red pandas appeared on the screen. Between her gushing over how adorable the red pandas were, she'd let slip a desire to reach through the screen and pet one, preferably all of them.</p>
<p>“Oh, I can't wait!” Sigyn kissed Loki's cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”</p>
<p>Loki put his arm around her waist. “Happy Birthday, my dear Sigyn.”</p>
<p>By now the Zoo had opened. A few more visitors queued up behind Loki and Sigyn as the gates were unlocked. Loki gave his name at the ticket booth, and they were directed to the Visitor's Center just behind the main gate. Sigyn looked over the zoo, seeing a handful of spacious exhibits placed along a long winding brick path that offered close views. It looked more like a park with interesting wildlife close by. What this zoo lacked in size and scale it made for in closeness and informality.</p>
<p>“Hello!” a cheerful voice greeted them at the Visitor's Center. A younger woman with dark hair and a bright smile approached, clad in the dark blue polo shirt and khaki shorts worn by all the zoo staff. The Vingolf logo was embroidered on her lanyard, which held a nametag. She carried a bowl filled with grapes, raisins, and apple slices, along with a small box of rubber gloves. “I'm Tiffany, I'll be hosting your red panda encounter today!”</p>
<p>Tiffany laid out a few ground rules, handing them each a pair of rubber gloves. They approached the red panda enclosure. Comprised of several logs, thin trees with built-in raised platforms, and a closed hutch. Tiffany unlocked the enclosure, swinging the door open. “Come on in!”</p>
<p>Sigyn quivered as she stepped inside, spotting a red panda lounging in the tree above. Upon spotting the newcomers, the panda ambled down closer. “Hi there!” Sigyn called, eyes widening. The closest she'd ever come to a red panda. No barrier, no straining to see over the heads of taller visitors.</p>
<p>“This is Lenore,” said Tiffany. “She's about 14, one of our oldest animals here at Vingolf.”</p>
<p>“Aren't you lovely,” Sigyn cooed. Lenore reached the small, raised platform built onto the tree, still high up, but within Sigyn's reach. As the panda came closer, the grayer furs on her coat revealed her more advanced age, as did her slower, careful movements. Still, she regarded her visitors with interest.</p>
<p>“Ah, you've been strongly incentivized to approach us, haven't you?” Loki said to Lenore with a facetious tone in his voice. “Oh <em>yes</em>, you have!”</p>
<p>“She definitely loves this part of the day,” the Tiffany added, handing a handful of raisins to Sigyn. “Raisins are her favorite.”</p>
<p>Sigyn reached up to Lenore, proffering a raisin. Lenore patiently took the offering, then waited for another, as though she knew more were coming and had all the time in the world. Sigyn's heart skipped a beat as the red panda's little snout made contact with her gloved palm.</p>
<p>“You're so sweet,” Sigyn cooed, offering another raisin. “Loki, do you want to try?”</p>
<p>A rustling from the closed hutch caught their attention. A second red panda, this one larger, its ruddy fur more vibrant, emerged. It sauntered over, stopping at Loki's feet.</p>
<p>“And this is Simon,” said Tiffany. “He's younger, a little more rambunctious.”</p>
<p>“Hi, Simon!” Sigyn chirped. “Aren't you handsome?” The newcomer stood on his haunches, gripping Loki's gloved hand.</p>
<p>“He's also a lot less polite,” said Tiffany with a laugh, handing Loki a few raisins. Loki appeased Simon with a quickly devoured raisin, only for the red panda to demand more. Loki handed his raisins over to Sigyn, with Simon following Loki's hand, lured by the prospect of a raisin feast. Caught in the middle, with Lenore above and Simon below, Sigyn alternated between the red pandas, stretching up to meet Lenore on her perch, then crouching to meet Simon on the ground. Impatient Simon attempted, more than once, to wrest all the raisins from Sigyn's hand, while Lenore batted at the air, as though making sure Sigyn wouldn't forget her.</p>
<p>“Loki!” Sigyn called. “A little help?”</p>
<p>Loki gave a small shake of his head. “A delightful problem to have, I'm sure.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but...”</p>
<p>Tiffany offered Loki a few apple slices as he took a place near Simon, sitting near the ground on one of the logs. Simon wasted no time climbing onto Loki's knee, eagerly accepting an apple slice. Amused, Loki couldn't resist lightly patting Simon's head.</p>
<p>Lenore, having had her fill of raisins, took her leave, ambling back up the tree to doze in the sun. Meanwhile, Simon redoubled his efforts, pawing at Sigyn's hand when she took to long to administer a raisin, while insisting Loki continue to provide apple slices. Sigyn sat next to Loki, with Simon perched on Loki's knee, relishing the attention. Tiffany continued talking about red panda facts, though Sigyn was far too absorbed in her task to fully engage in conversation. Sigyn couldn't stop smiling as she lavished attention on Simon, scratching his ear while he feasted. Even Loki was not immune to the red panda's charms, a bashful smile on his own face, as though he couldn't quite believe Simon has settled into his lap.</p>
<p>The encounter ended an hour later, with the supply of fruit exhausted. Simon reluctantly climbed off Loki's knee and waddled off, back into the hutch, while Lenore curled under her tail, eyes closed. Tiffany collected their gloves as she locked up the enclosure. Their encounter also included admission to the rest of the zoo, so Tiffany bade them farewell after Sigyn and Loki gave their thanks.</p>
<p>Later, after they'd finished exploring the rest of the zoo- stopping by the red panda enclosure once more so Sigyn could bid Lenore and Simon farewell- and the inevitable stop at the gift shop, they found a little cafe not far from the zoo. The large bay windows offered an almost panoramic view of the Vingolf resort, with the golf course in the distance. Beyond the golf course, horseback riders, hikers, and even kayakers on the lake enjoyed the warm summer day.</p>
<p>“Have you planned anything else after this?” Sigyn asked. “I'd like to explore around here a bit, if we're not on a tight schedule.”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” Loki had been staring into the distance, lost in thought.</p>
<p>“Oh, I was just saying, I'd like to explore around here a little more, if we're not busy.”</p>
<p>“As you wish. We have some time before the next part of your special day.”</p>
<p>“The next part?” Sigyn tilted her head.</p>
<p>“A bit closer to home.”</p>
<p>“I look forward to it."</p>
<p>Loki was staring off again.</p>
<p>“How did you discover this place?” Sigyn asked.</p>
<p>Loki's eyes were fixed on the golf course.</p>
<p>“...Loki?”</p>
<p>He blinked. “Just a little far away, my love.”</p>
<p>“I was just asking how you discovered this place.”</p>
<p>“Father-Odin- often golfed here, had conferences with his associates,” Loki explained. “Occasionally Thor and I would come down here as well, keeping ourselves entertained while he was off.” Loki cleared his throat. “That was how I knew about the animal encounters down here.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Sigyn replied. “You must have a lot of memories here.”</p>
<p>“A few.” Loki said softly. “Some good, some less so.”</p>
<p>“Is this hard for you? We don't have to stay.” Sigyn offered.</p>
<p>“It's alright, love. I wouldn't have brought you here if I couldn't handle a few ghosts.”</p>
<p>It hadn't been long since Odin's passing, only a few months. Loki had held up well, so far as Sigyn could tell, but there were moments where his facade would falter. He'd opened up to her, little by little, about his difficult relationship with his father, the strange Pandora box of pent-up emotions opened up by grief. His mind retread old conversations over and over, ones he'd long forgotten, conjured memories at the slightest tinge of the familiar, even things he thought he'd long since buried.</p>
<p>Occasionally Sigyn would find him staring off, so unlike his usual sharp, ever-observing demeanor. Sometimes he'd share the memory with her, sometimes he'd brush it off. She never pushed him to tell her more than he was ready for, knowing well that he was used to keeping all his inner thoughts buried deep within. She remained patient, he'd open up when the time was right. Still, it made him hard to read at times, never quite knowing if she should speak, leave him to his thoughts, re-direct his focus, or simply stay with him in the quiet.</p>
<p>At this moment, Loki made the decision for her. He brushed aside his cloud of memories, returning to the present. “Well, now that my big secret plan has been revealed, may I ask why you so adore red pandas?”</p>
<p>Sigyn bit her lip. “They've been my favorite animal for as long as I can remember. Anytime we went to the zoo I always made a beeline to see Amber, the red panda there. And I always insisted on seeing her again on the way out. Dad used to say it was because they had ginger hair, like me.”</p>
<p>Loki smiled affectionately at her. “They are quite striking. Just like you.”</p>
<p>After lunch, they walked along the Vingolf trails, sticking to the shaded treeline as the heat rose. Loki pointed various spots, telling her what he recalled of his childhood, what he knew of the history of the place, his first horseback ride. Sigyn took in the scenery, trying to envision a young Loki running along the hills, making his own entertainment while Odin golfed and Thor tagged along in the golf cart.</p>
<p>During a lull in conversation, Sigyn took a breath, bracing herself to ask Loki a question.</p>
<p>“By the way, are you off on the 4<sup>th</sup> of July?”</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>“So am I.”</p>
<p>“And you ask this because...”</p>
<p>“Well...my father has an annual cookout on the Fourth of July, with friends and neighbors and some family, a big gathering. Very informal. I'm invited of course.”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>“I'm also welcome to bring guests.”</p>
<p>“I see.”</p>
<p>“Anyway, I was wondering...did you want to come with me?”</p>
<p>“You're inviting me?”</p>
<p>“If it's too soon, I understand.”</p>
<p>“Too soon for what?”</p>
<p>“Family stuff, you know. If you're not ready for all that, it's okay. But I'd love to introduce you sometime.”</p>
<p>Loki squeezed her hand. “Not too soon at all. I'd love to join you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn's cheeks flushed. She'd half-worried that Loki would balk at the prospect of meeting her family, at the implication that their ever-deepening connection was becoming more public. She'd worried he'd resist being further enmeshed in her life, or be scared off at a sign she wanted more. Perhaps irrational, yet she couldn't quite believe someone as elegant, sophisticated, and handsome as he had fallen in love with her. For him to readily agree to join her, and meet her family, caught her by surprise.</p>
<p>Loki checked the time on his phone. “Oh, if we're to get to our next destination, we'd best depart now.”</p>
<p>They neared the city after the sun began to set. “So what is the next part of our day?”</p>
<p>“Well, you had also expressed a desire to attend the Arts Festival, did you not?”</p>
<p>“You don't mind?” Loki hated crowds, and though Sigyn wished to go to the annual summer arts festival downtown, she'd assumed she either need to go alone or with friends.</p>
<p>“It's your special day, Sigyn,” said Loki. “I am willing to endure a horde of art and craft enthusiasts to fulfill your heart's desire. Besides, by this hour the melee will have quelled somewhat.”</p>
<p>Sigyn looked over at Loki as he drove them into town. Though she'd been delighted at the red panda encounter, his willingness to take her to festival despite his dislike of crowded spaces touched her. It was a small thing, yet it told her so much of how he felt about her.</p>
<p>They pulled into the closest parking garage that wasn't filled to capacity. In addition to the Arts Festival, almost all of the theaters had numerous performances, and the baseball team had a home game that night, complete with fireworks. They still had quite a bit of walking to do before reaching the area near the river where the heart of the festival was set up. Beyond the walking bridge over the park, the circle of covered booths, pavilions, food trucks, and picnic tables came into view. Though a few vendors had started to close up as the night fell, there was still plenty of activity. A stage had been set up near the food trucks, and at the moment a guy with an acoustic guitar wailed out a cover of “Wonderwall.”</p>
<p>“I see the good entertainment has left for the day,” Loki snarked under his breath.</p>
<p>“I'm sure he's doing his best,” Sigyn replied in a hushed whisper. She surveyed the booths, seeing all manner of local artists arrayed along park by river. Woodwork, soaps, earthenware dishes, jewelry, portraits, photography, handmade clothing, pet products, so many options Sigyn didn't quite know where to begin. She spotted the edge of the rows of booths and lead Loki towards the outskirts, devising a plan to scour each booth until they returned to the entrance, then she could decide which booths she would want to re-visit and what she would purchase. First, though, she and Loki stopped at one of the concession stands for lemonade as they prepared for more walking.</p>
<p>Once they reached the far booths, Sigyn thoroughly looked over the displays, admiring the art, occasionally chatting with the artists if they weren't already occupied. Loki hung further back, waiting patiently as Sigyn explored, taking in the festival as a whole.</p>
<p>As Sigyn looked over a booth of earthenware dishes, she noticed Loki was not behind her. She turned, spotting his tall figure a few booths down, looking over some metal gear artworks. Curious, Sigyn broke her strategy and walked over, wondering what drew his attention. She found him admiring a snake metal sculpture comprised of gears, grommets, golden brass plating, and painted over screws for fangs. It should have looked harsh, grotesque, and severe, yet somehow the snake, while startling and unexpected, looked grand, otherwordly, and oddly charming. Posed as though it were about to strike, it evoked less a sense of menace than a fascination. It wasn't quite like anything she had ever seen before, which added to its allure.</p>
<p>“That's neat,” Sigyn commented behind Loki, catching him off-guard.</p>
<p>“Mmm.” Loki studied the snake. He peered over his shoulder at the artist.</p>
<p>“Do you like it?”</p>
<p>“I am enthralled.”</p>
<p>“You should get it, if you want,” Sigyn replied. “It is very you. It's the only thing of it's kind.”</p>
<p>Loki quirked an eyebrow. “You think I ought to?”</p>
<p>“Why not? You'd be supporting a local artist. And it would like lovely on your bookshelf.”</p>
<p>By the time the night fell the Arts Festival came to a close. As the vendors closed up their booths, Loki and Sigyn made the long walk back to the parking garage. Loki carried the snake sculpture, while Sigyn carried a set of four small earthenware bowls that caught her eye, and they both now had wide leather bracelets around their wrists from one of the jewelry booths, with matching Runic designs though Sigyn's was smaller.</p>
<p>“So may I ask, why do you adore snakes so much?”</p>
<p>Loki took a breath and adjusted his hold on the snake. It may have been impressive, but it was not lightweight. “I suppose I held an affinity for misunderstood creatures,” he replied. “Snakes may look menacing, they <em>can </em>be dangerous, but they are not the evil beings they are so often made out to be.”</p>
<p>“They're just doing what they must to survive, as we all are,” Sigyn added.</p>
<p>“Precisely,” Loki went on, looking over his new prize. “They are cunning, mysterious, yet ultimately not dangerous if you leave them be.”</p>
<p>At last they'd reached the car, Sigyn collapsing into the front seat, her feet and legs tingling from all the walking she'd done. Not an unpleasant sensation, more the satisfied yearning for rest after a day well-spent.</p>
<p>“Well, my darling Sigyn” said Loki as he returned to the driver's seat after placing the snake in backseat, “Were you pleased with your special day?”</p>
<p>“Indeed I was,” Sigyn grinned. He'd set out to delight her, and he'd succeeded in ways he'd never even expected to. “But, I don't think we're quite done yet.”</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>“My dear Loki,” Sigyn said with a light chuckle. Her ardor for him far outweighed any fatigue. “Today may have been my day, but tonight is reserved for you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dino Days, Disquieting Nights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sigyn and her roommates are faced with a decision. Loki is faced with interns, insomnia, and a loud brother.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On her actual birthday, Sigyn rose early to find a surprise in the kitchen- though it was her turn to do the dishes, all the plates, cups, and silverware were cleaned and put away, leaving the tiny countertop clear. The message HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM DARCY was spelled out with the magnet letters on their fridge. Darcy hated dish duty, and Sigyn was touched by the gesture. A simple task, but imbued with meaning. </p>
<p>She headed out the door, only to immediately step into a pile of wood shavings. She scoffed, lifting her shoe. The Whittler was at it again.</p>
<p>One of the other tenants in their apartment building spent hours whittling wood into nothing in particular. In the warmer months it wasn't uncommon to see him sitting on front stoop, knife in hand, a toothpick poking out of his mouth, and a pile of shavings accumulating by his feet. They'd lost sight of him over the winter, but as the weather warmed, he was back with a vengeance. Even when he was not at the front stoop, the little shavings left in his wake signaled his presence. Sigyn kicked the shavings over the edge of the steps before going on her way to the natural history museum.</p>
<p>She'd joined the museums' summer camp programs as part of a field experience for her MLIS degree. While it fell slightly outside of her chosen field at first glance, her main goal was to work in youth services once she graduated, and assisting with the camps allowed her a chance to help devise programming and get practice working with larger groups of kids of various age groups. The camps were held over the course of a few weeks over the summer, each on comprising a different theme. Most of the camps lasted for a few hours during the weekdays, though a few were stretched over two days. The programs needed to be both entertaining, educational, and age appropriate in complexity.</p>
<p>This week's camp theme was Dino Days. Today's age group would be the youngest- ages 4-6. The first activity of the day would be “dino dig” in which the kids would unearth paper mache “bones” and then as a group figure out which bones fit together to make one whole dinosaur. They'd spent all morning putting together the “dig site”- essentially a giant sandbox with the bones buried underneath, along with clay “fossils.” They'd interspersed the findings just so, hopefully ensuring each child could unearth one piece of the puzzle. After, they'd break for snacks, then tour the dinosaur exhibit of the museum, followed by a short video in the museum theater.</p>
<p>Sigyn assisted with laying out juice boxes, snacks, and putting together “toolboxes” for each kid- small plastic version of tools used by real paleontologists. Just before the first of the campers arrived, Sigyn arranged juice boxes, little bottles of water, and snacks while the curators in charge of the program put the finishing touches on the dig site. Books about dinosaurs and paleontology from the public library lined the window sills.</p>
<p>A rumble of small sneakers reverberated through the entrance hall. The campers had arrived. Lead by Morgan, they were quick to hop into the little seats, chattering about today's activity, their favorite dinosaurs, asking about snack time, and reciting their favorite dinosaur facts at each other and at the counselors. Once the initial excitement settled, the main children's programming curator got the camp underway. Sigyn walked around the edge of the dig site, ensuring that all the campers were cooperating with each other, answering questions, and diffusing any potential fighting over tools and digging space. She also observed the curators, and how they coordinated the camp and adjusted the concepts for the age groups.</p>
<p>After much discussion, the bones were unearthed and the dinosaur was assembled, standing in all its paper mache glory in the middle of the workshop. They'd named it Steve.</p>
<p>The curators shepherded the campers down the hall, to the dinosaur exhibit, reciting facts about each of the fossils and skeletons on display. Sigyn stayed near the back of the cavalcade, to help any stragglers keep pace. As the tour moved on, Morgan paused by the T-Rex, looking over the placard. She'd been near the front of the group, but now the others had passed her by.</p>
<p>“Is this one your favorite?” She asked, crouching next to Morgan in front of the placard.</p>
<p>“Uh-huh!”</p>
<p>“They always scared me when I was a kid,” said Sigyn.</p>
<p>“I want one!”</p>
<p>Sigyn laughed. “Where would you put a pet dinosaur? Look how big he is!”</p>
<p>“In our yard.”</p>
<p>“You'd need a very long leash.”</p>
<p>“I will tie a bunch of leashes together!”</p>
<p>Sigyn rose, offering Morgan her hand. “Well, why don't we move on and find some smaller dinosaurs you might like?”</p>
<p>They caught up to the group, now standing in front of the Stegosaurus. Morgan poked at Sigyn's wrist.</p>
<p>“I like your bracelet,” she said, tracing the leather strap.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sigyn said quietly as they reached the group.</p>
<p>“Was it a present?” Morgan asked.</p>
<p>“Sort of. It was for my birthday.”</p>
<p>Morgan's eyes lit up. “When's you birthday?”</p>
<p>“It's today.”</p>
<p>Morgan almost squealed, but stopped when Sigyn put her finger to her lips, stopping from disrupting the tour. “But it's a secret.”</p>
<p>Morgan gave a conspiratorial nod. “I won't tell.”</p>
<p>By the afternoon, the day's camp session ended. The campers were picked up one by one, while the dig site, supplies, and leftover snacks were put away by the curators. Sigyn waited with the remaining campers while the parents came down to get them. Morgan sat with her on the picnic table by the entrance, waiting for her ride.</p>
<p>“What are we doing next week?” Morgan asked.</p>
<p>“Next week is Space Cases. We even have an astrophysicist coming all the way from Princeton.”</p>
<p>“Astro-what?”</p>
<p>“Someone who studies space. She's going to tell us a little about what it's like.”</p>
<p>A familiar, sleek Audi pulled up to the entrance, honking twice. Morgan leapt from her seat and dashed over as the car parked.</p>
<p>“Daddy!”</p>
<p>Morgan's father, Tony, stepped out, kneeling to catch Morgan and pulled her into a hug. “I thought I left a little fossil here.” He scooped her up. “Have fun with the other fossils?”</p>
<p>“We made a dinosaur and named it Steve.”</p>
<p>“<em>Steve</em>. What a perfect name for a dinosaur.”</p>
<p>“And I learned a secret today!”</p>
<p>Morgan leaned over and whispered, though based on her pointing directly at Sigyn, it wasn't hard to guess what she was saying.</p>
<p>Tony gasped in awe. “Her <em>birthday</em>?”</p>
<p>Morgan nodded.</p>
<p>“Wow! What do we say when it's someone's birthday?”</p>
<p>Morgan turned to Sigyn. “Happy Birthday 3000!”</p>
<p>Tony gave Sigyn a quick wave. “Happy Birthday 300<em>1</em>!”</p>
<p>Morgan looked back at her father, her hands on her hips and an indignant look on her face at being one-upped. Sigyn laughed and waved goodbye, watching as the Audi drove off.</p>
<p>With the museum cleared of campers, Sigyn assisted with clean-up, and headed home. She had just enough time to stop back at the apartment before her evening shift at the university library began.</p>
<p>After collecting the few envelopes sticking out of their mailbox, she opened the door to find her roommates in a standoff in front of the hallway. Darcy brandishing a shoe and Mantis blocking the wall.</p>
<p>“I'm not letting the little bastard crawl on my face tonight!” Darcy shouted, attempting to dart past Mantis, who dodged her maneuver.</p>
<p>“It eats other things that would also crawl on your face!” Mantis countered.</p>
<p>“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”</p>
<p>“It is a friend!”</p>
<p>“It's creepy!”</p>
<p>Mantis' jaw dropped in offense.</p>
<p>Sigyn looked at the wall behind Mantis, spotting a spider dangling near the light switch. She tensed at the sight, somewhat siding with Darcy.</p>
<p>Darcy caught Sigyn's grimace. “See? She agrees with me!”</p>
<p>Sigyn blinked. “Oh, I...”</p>
<p>“Oh no, don't think you're not gonna get involved in this.” Darcy pointed the shoe at Sigyn. “You want that thing on your face tonight? Or do we mercy kill?”</p>
<p>Sigyn's eyes searched the faces of her roommates. Darcy raised her eyebrows, expecting Sigyn to sign off on the spider's demise, while Mantis wordlessly pleaded for mercy on the spider's behalf, her lower lip quivering slightly. Time for a compromise.</p>
<p>“I think the spider would rather not be stuck here at all,” Sigyn replied calmly, stepping between the two. “Why don't we mercifully show our little friend the way out?” She located a slip of paper and slipped it underneath the spider. Once she'd held it captive, she raced to the nearest window, throwing it open, and flinging the intruder as far as possible, ensuring it was gone from the paper before closing the window.</p>
<p>“Great, now it can stare at us all day long,” Darcy groused. “And creep back in the next time we need some air.”</p>
<p>“It is free,” Mantis remarked.</p>
<p>“Well, that's settled.” Sigyn discarded the paper. “What other exciting things happened today?"</p>
<p>“You got a little something on the kitchen table,” Darcy added. “From a certain someone.”</p>
<p>Sigyn bounded down the hall, finding a bouquet of one dozen multicolored roses in a bright vase with Happy Birthday etched on the ceramic.</p>
<p>“Oh!” She lifted the bouquet from the vase, admiring the vibrant colors. She found a small card in the center of the flowers. <em>Happy Birthday, My Sweet Sigyn. Love, Loki</em></p>
<p>“They're beautiful,” Sigyn gushed, her cheeks coloring.</p>
<p>“I like the purple ones. They are the prettiest,” said Mantis.</p>
<p>“Hmph.” said Darcy.</p>
<p>Darcy and Mantis had been skeptical when Sigyn got back together with Loki, not forgetting how much their breakup had hurt Sigyn. But where Mantis was quick to forgive, knowing how happy Loki made Sigyn, as far as Darcy was concerned, he teetered on very thin ice. Sometimes Darcy's ongoing cynicism bothered Sigyn, as Loki wasn't as awful as Darcy now seemed to think. Her heart was in the right place, simply concerned for her friend, but Sigyn wished Darcy would at least acknowledge the kind things Loki did for her.</p>
<p>For now, Sigyn brushed aside Darcy's ambivalence, pulling her phone from her purse.</p>
<p>“Yes, darling?” Loki answered on the first ring though he was likely still at the office.</p>
<p>“I got your delivery,” Sigyn replied. “They're so lovely! Thank you so, so much!”</p>
<p>A chuckle. “You didn't think I'd let your <em>real</em> special day pass without a little surprise, did you?”</p>
<p>“You sneaky snake,” Sigyn teased. “And I thought you'd outdone yourself.”</p>
<p>“Keeping you on your toes, love.”</p>
<p>“My toes will worn to the nubs if you keep this up!”</p>
<p>“Then I shall carry you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn giggled. “Well, I suppose you ought to get back to work until then. See you Thursday?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>Sigyn couldn't help her grin as she hung up. Behind her, Mantis flipped through the stack of mail Sigyn abandoned. She looked over a flier. “The YGSL Music Festival is coming soon.”</p>
<p>“Nice,” said Darcy. “Who's playing?”</p>
<p>Mantis looked over the headlining acts for the yearly outdoor concert that took place at the university park. “Wode and the Berserkers. Could They Be Jotuns. The Karls. Lady Saga..”</p>
<p>“Not bad,” said Darcy. “Might be worth the risk of getting beer spilled on me. <em>Might</em> be.”</p>
<p>“The crowd screams over the music,” Mantis added. “We will probably hear it from here.” She set aside the flier and picked up the next envelope. Their landlord's name listed on the return address gave her pause. “Oh.”</p>
<p>Sigyn and Darcy looked over her shoulder as she opened the envelope. The letter stated that their lease would be up at the end of August, and all three of them must indicate if they would renew the lease for another year or move out with 30 days' notice. To renew would mean paying at additional $50 a month in rent. To move out would mean diving into frantic world of apartment hunting, and coordinating another move, again.</p>
<p>“Hmm,” said Sigyn, looking over the letter. “I suppose the rent hike isn't too bad between the three of us.”</p>
<p>“This place isn't even worth what we're paying now,” Darcy replied. “Our sink is still dripping. There's a hole in the foyer floor, random flies show up from out of nowhere, the basement is moldy, and how long was that dead rat hanging around by the stairs?”</p>
<p>“Two days,” said Mantis. “He said he'd take care of it but not when.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. He sucks.”</p>
<p>Sigyn bit her lip. Time had flown by so fast since she'd moved in. Almost a year. Darcy was right, the apartment was overpriced, their landlord absent, and the old building showed its age in ways both subtle and overt. Still, it was her first apartment, and she'd grown fond of it.</p>
<p>“But the rental market here is so tough,” Sigyn began. “We only just got this place by the skin of our teeth.” Though they submitted their rental application first, they'd outpaced other interested renters by just 30 seconds, a fact loomed over Sigyn as she thought over trying to find a new place within 30 days. “Besides, it's not really bad place at all-”</p>
<p>
  <em>BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! </em>
</p>
<p>Piercing shrieks disrupted the discussion. Darcy glared up at the ceiling as the racket went on. And on. And on.</p>
<p>“Must be 3:33,” Mantis sighed, covering her ears.</p>
<p>They suspected their upstairs neighbor worked the night shift, often forgetting to turn off their alarm clock before their departure, leaving the unchecked alarm to sound off for hours on end. Though not a daily occurrence, the alarm cacophony would strike at unpredictable intervals- sounding for days in a row, followed by a long period of silence, only for the alarm to sound again just as the three had lulled into a false sense of security. No amount of polite knocks, notes posted on the door, nor complaints to the landlord worked.</p>
<p>“Who the hell sets their alarm for thirty-three minutes after the hour?” Darcy yelled at the ceiling.</p>
<p>“Well, I'd better take off,” Sigyn called over the noise, grabbing her purse. She didn't need to leave quite yet, but wished to spare her ears. The lease conversation would have to wait. “Bye!”</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>At Laufey, Byleistr, &amp; Associates, high in his office in the Jotunheim Centre, Loki leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his face. He'd barely slept the previous night, unable to quiet his thoughts. The heaviness of his eyelids did little to lull him despite his efforts. Each time he'd prepare to switch off the light, put away his tablet, the ensuring silence unnerved him. His thoughts grew louder, refusing to be brushed aside with nothing to distract him. He'd always been a light sleeper, but this new aversion to sleep was a new development. He'd tried all the remedies he knew of, yet there was only one cure:</p>
<p>Sigyn.</p>
<p>Only her presence beside him allowed him to sleep soundly. Only she managed to quiet his thoughts. Only she quelled his pangs of guilt, his grief, his anger. Only she made the daunting silence and darkness bearable. Only she reminded him he was no longer alone. On the nights they were together, he could relax, listening to the sound of her breathing, wrapping his arm over her resting figure.</p>
<p>Monday nights were the hardest. After a few nights of having her with him, they parted ways Monday mornings, and would meet again on Thursday. Only a few days, but the nights dragged on with out her. Returning to the harsh cruel solitude left him breathless, as though he were dangling over a precipice, a void below threatening to consume him.</p>
<p>Such thoughts had no place at Laufey, Byleistr, and Associates. Diving into work made the daylight easier, though the stigma of failure hadn't quite worn away. And there was always work. He'd taken on some consulting as a burgeoning side hustle, but he hadn't yet built enough of a name for himself on his own. On days when he wasn't with Sigyn he worked late, pushing through fatigue until exhaustion forced him to stop. As the office emptied for the day, he wasn't quite there yet.</p>
<p>“Mr. Loki, Odinson, sir?”</p>
<p>Loki looked up to find a three young, eager faces in front of him.</p>
<p>Ah, the summer interns. Every year a new trio joined the firm for a few weeks, easily identifiable by their too-bright eyes, too-wide smiles, too-new business attire that didn't quite fit, too eager to please. In the midst of academic rigors they followed the attorneys around like little ducklings, asking all manner of questions and taking endless notes. Names changed from year to year, but the indefatigable enthusiasm, the raw drive not yet tarnished by reality, never changed.</p>
<p>Loki pulled himself back to the present. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Everyone's leaving?” the first spoke. “We were wondering if we needed to do anything else? Since you're still working?”</p>
<p>Unaccustomed to the world of an office, they hoped to make a good impression by arriving the earliest, staying the latest, and foregoing the most breaks. Loki could read their thoughts even if they weren't written all over their faces. He'd been one of them once. Craving validation, recognition, acceptance into the field, into a firm. And though Loki was not technically in charge of the interns, they still looked to him for guidance, for any sign that they were doing well.</p>
<p>“You will have plenty of long hours ahead of you,” he said after a moment. “Tonight need not be one of them. You may go.”</p>
<p>“Okay, good night, Loki, er, Mr. Odinson sir.” The trio nodded and backed out of his office.</p>
<p>“Good job today,” he added as they were nearly out of earshot.</p>
<p>They turned. “Th-th-thank you, Sir,” The first one stammered, his voice an octave higher and his face suddenly red.</p>
<p>Loki watched them go. He tried to envision himself when he was in their place, how he must have looked to the older attorneys. Determined to prove to his colleagues, to his family, to <em>himself </em>that he was not just good at taking classes, he'd fight the desire to sleep in to get to the office just as the first few attorneys were coming in, stayed until the last one left, completed every task assigned to him and some that weren't without being asked, though he learned quickly such initiative was not always welcomed. Had he ever looked so hopeful, so earnest, so <em>young </em>back then as the interns did now?</p>
<p>Surely he hadn't been so cloying, so ready to worship his superiors? Surely he'd conducted himself with at least a bit more dignity.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p>The thought unsettled him. He switched off his computer and departed the office as the evening crews were entering to clean.</p>
<p>He walked into the twilight while the streets slowly cleared of traffic. He rounded the corner to the Jotunheim Centre parking garage, keeping his head turned away from the scaffolding on the building across the street. He picked up his pace, just a few more feet until he slipped out of view-</p>
<p>“<em>LOKI!</em>”</p>
<p>The voice thundered from across the street, reverberating down the alley between the buildings.</p>
<p>Loki froze, closing his eyes. He'd been spotted.</p>
<p>He turned towards the scaffolding, finding the all-too familiar muscled figure in a safety vest and hard hat waving at him from a few stories up.</p>
<p>Loki pointedly used his phone to call Thor.</p>
<p>“What?” He said when Thor answered.</p>
<p>“<em>MOTHER WANTS TO KNOW WHEN WE GET TO MEET YOUR LADY FRIEND.” </em>Thor shouted across the street despite having his phone to his ear.</p>
<p>“Why are you asking me this?”</p>
<p>“<em>I WANT TO MEET HER.”</em></p>
<p>“You <em>have</em> met her.”</p>
<p>“<em>BUT THAT WAS DIFFERENT. BRING HER OVER.”</em></p>
<p>“Thor. Is there any reason you are bringing this up while dangling on scaffolding? Shouldn't you be...building something?”</p>
<p>“<em>I AM TELLING YOU NOW SO I DO NOT FORGET.”</em></p>
<p>Loki sighed. “Noted. Please go back to your safety parameters, Thor. Before you become a lawsuit goldmine.” With that, Loki hung up, disappearing into the parking garage.</p>
<p>The building next to the Jotumheim Centre was in the midst of a massive renovation, inside and out. First built as a luxury hotel in early 19<sup>th</sup> century, its foundations weren't quite strong enough to support ongoing additions as it grew in size yet struggled to find people willing to stay there after numerous delays and scandals. For a little while it served as an artist commune of sorts before eventually being condemned a few years ago, and stood empty and abandoned every since. Though it had been an eyesore for years, Loki did not exactly welcome the news when he'd discovered Thor's construction firm would be overseeing the project. He avoided rounding the corner to the parking garage when the workers were out, but it hadn't stopped Thor from shouting at him at all manner of hours.</p>
<p>Though the scaffolding added a new twist, shouting at the top of his lungs, usually from a considerable distance had long been Thor's favorite mode of communication. Practically from the moment he realized his voice could be as loud as possible, he shunned simple tasks like calling, emailing, or evening simply walking across a room in favor of bellowing. Even as children, if Frigga asked him to summon Loki for supper, Thor would simply bray at the top of his lungs right where he stood rather than walk up the stairs. If Loki was in his bedroom, or even the bathroom, with the door closed, Thor would stand in the corridor and yell to him from there. The practice continued even as Loki ignored Thor's guttural calls until he did come up to see Loki. For a time Loki made a point of using ear plugs in Thor's presence, but his brother never caught on.</p>
<p>It wasn't the volume that bothered Loki, though it was in no small measure a grievance. It was the unspoken message under the calls, one that told Loki he wasn't worth coming to, even when he was needed. Loki would always have to come down to Thor's level. It was the humiliation of being shouted at as though he were no more than disobedient livestock, needing to be yelled into submission. For such messages to be broadcast far and wide- right where Loki worked no less- brought him right back to the past, the humiliated, errant child.</p>
<p>The thought plagued him later, as he failed yet again to fall asleep. His eyes pricked with tears with exhaustion, and anger at Thor flared up that his brother managed to get under his skin again. He tossed the sheets aside and stood, rifling through his books for another distraction and turning on the radio.</p>
<p>Thursday night. He'd see Sigyn again in just two days. He could go without sleep until then. He'd done it before.</p>
<p>He had no choice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Fireworks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Sigyn head to Sigyn's hometown for the annual cook-out, and learn a few new things about each other.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content Warning for discussion of losing a beloved pet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We don't have to stay long,” Sigyn said, fingers lightly drumming against the bowl of fruit salad in her lap. “If you'd rather just make a polite appearance. We could tell them-”</p>
<p>“-That we've another event to attend later,” Loki finished, with a slight chuckle. “Yes. You've said that already.”</p>
<p>“Just want you to be comfortable.”</p>
<p>“Are <em>you </em>comfortable?”</p>
<p>"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sigyn said with a nervous laugh. </p>
<p>They were en route to Possum Pines, Sigyn's hometown for her father's annual cookout. Sigyn's stomach twisted in dozens of little knots. She thought over every guest who would be there, anything she ought to warn Loki about, even writing up little notes in case he wanted to review prior to the event. Loki listened to her observations, her warnings, her numerous assurances that she would not be upset if he didn't want to come after all, and still came along anyway. She hoped she'd sufficiently prepared him for the worst: if her cousins were told horrible jokes, her aunt asked inappropriate questions, he didn't like any of the food. She hoped he'd enjoy himself, and not be too upset with her if he didn't. If Loki wasn't looking forward to meeting her family, he gave no indication. And so that afternoon, they drove off onto the highway towards the airport.</p>
<p>“It's just past the traffic light at the mall,” Sigyn directed as they reached the highway exit. “Then we'll take a right where Bard's used to be.”</p>
<p>“You mean that mattress store up ahead?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes. That building there. Huh. When did Bard's become a mattress store?”</p>
<p>Bard's Music and Media had been the premiere entertainment store in Possum Pines, lasting for nearly three decades, it's rows upon rows of CDs, cassettes, vinyl, VHS and DVDs, electronics, even laserdiscs ever so briefly. Sigyn bought her first album there- Kate Bush's <em>The Red Shoes</em>, along with a little dragon keychain- and from then on spent many hours at Bard's engaged in a struggle between the many offerings and her scraped together allowance, choosing and re-choosing what to purchase and what would need to wait for a month or two.</p>
<p>Bard's closed down during Sigyn's sophomore year of college. They'd announced a final close-out sale, and she and Idunn visited one last time over winter break, picking through what little remained before the store shut its doors for good.</p>
<p>Various businesses had come and gone in the years since, none last more than a year or two at most; among them a used book store, a vape shop, a high-end seafood restaurant, and a jazz lounge. Despite years since it's closure, Bard's lived on in minds of locals. No other establishment ever took it's place, and so the lot behind movie theater became forever known as “where Bard's used to be,” an essential part of providing any directions. And a spectre of what the building had been.</p>
<p>“Now you'll see the bowling alley, and then the next left is a little ways up, right before the B&amp;B with a red roof.”</p>
<p>“You'd told me a thing or two about the bowling alley when we met,” Loki said as they neared the turn.</p>
<p>“I did?”</p>
<p>“About Thursday nights?”</p>
<p>“Oh right. The Whole Chinchilla.”</p>
<p>“The what?”</p>
<p>“The Whole Chinchilla. They are...they were...the improv troupe around here.”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes. Did you see them often?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes. My friend Nanna and I used to see them all the time...one of the few things to do around here if you were under 21 and the mall was closed,” Sigyn explained. “Eventually Nanna auditioned and became a Chinchilla.”</p>
<p>The bowling alley was closed at the moment, but Sigyn recalled many Thursday evenings spent on the upper level. Nanna had been her closest friend since high school. She lived for performance, particularly comedy, and talked Sigyn into going to see the troupe one night in the late summer. Nanna had been hooked from the first show, and their Thursday outings went from a monthly occasion to a standing weekly night out. After Nanna joined the group, Sigyn sometimes felt a little awkward sitting in the audience alone, though she knew now that hardly anyone paid attention once the show started.</p>
<p>“And you?” Loki asked. “Did you perform?”</p>
<p>“No,” Sigyn replied. “Well, I'd sometimes volunteer for audience participation games, if no one else did, so the performers wouldn't feel bad.” She recalled Nanna's rather pointed look she'd give Sigyn from the stage the longer they waited for a volunteer to join them for a game.</p>
<p>“And will Nanna be joining the party today?”</p>
<p>“No, she moved to Chicago a few years back to take her chances at comedy full-time.” A longing pang hit her chest. She hadn't seen or spoken with Nanna in years, only sporadic birthday wishes here and there. They'd spent nearly every Thursday together right up until she'd left, promising to visit and stay in touch, but the contact grew more sporadic as their lives went on. She did not even know if the troupe still performed there. Gradually, most of the members she'd known departed, including the founding members. It could be entirely new group, or none at all.</p>
<p>The bowling alley faded into the distance as the jaguar neared the turn. And so Sigyn's memories retreated, and she resumed her direction until her father's house came into view.</p>
<p>They found a free space by the along the side of the street a block away from the house. As they approached the Sigyn's father's house, nerves twinged in Sigyn's gut. Doubting thoughts needled at her.</p>
<p><em>What if my family doesn't like him? What if he doesn't like them? And Aunt Hilda...</em>Sigyn pondered. <em>We're not at the house yet, we could still turn back...</em></p>
<p>“Hey, we should come up with a signal. If we need to let each other know it's time to make a quick exit.”</p>
<p>Loki furrowed his brow as he rolled back the sleeves of his pale green linen button-down. “Did...did I miss something? Is your family on the run from federal agents? A cartel?”</p>
<p>“Just in case,” Sigyn went on. “If you're getting bored or someone's being dumb or, or you don't like anyone or...you don't really want to be here...”</p>
<p>“Sigyn.” Loki stopped, placing a hand on her shoulder. “If only you were to see my family in action, all your worries about my meeting yours would be assuaged in an instant. I promise you nothing your relatives can say or do will change how I feel about you. Allow <em>me</em> to decide if I like your family, yes?”</p>
<p>They came to the house, not bothering to knock at the front door, instead circling around to the backyard. Already a few guests were gathered around the long tables propped up on and around the deck, with snack bowls and Solo cups stewed around. On the deck, the grill was already showing signs of life, ready to cook the stack of burgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings beside it. Sigyn braced herself. No turning back.</p>
<p>No turning back, especially when a certain brindle beige greyhound caught sight of them. Positioned by the grill with a hopeful look on his face, he abandoned his post and raced over at full speed.</p>
<p>“Hi, Spock!” Sigyn greeted as the greyhound bounded over. “Glad to see you're still around.” She rubbed his back while Loki offered his hand for Spock to sniff at.</p>
<p>“There she is!” Walt called as he followed Spock's path, his trademark SHITAKE HAPPENS apron tied on in preparation for the grill. He pulled Sigyn into a big hug. “Hi, honey!” He released her, turning to Loki with a wide grin.</p>
<p>“Loki! Welcome!” Walt said, looking Loki in the eye and giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Great to meet you.”</p>
<p>Loki blinked in surprise at Walt's effusive, informal greeting, yet recovered quickly. “Pleasure is all mine, sir.”</p>
<p>“Call me Walt,” said Sigyn's father as he lead them down to the back yard with Spock trotting along beside them. “We're so glad you could make it. Sig tells me you're a lawyer?”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes.” Inwardly, Loki prepared for another “bloodsucking lawyer” joke.</p>
<p>But a snide comment never came. “Impressive,” said Walt. “And you were in New York for a time?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Columbia University for my education and started at my first firm there,” Loki replied, again surprised that Walt didn't seem interested in making fun of him. Much more accustomed to brushing aside insults than in accepting compliments, Walt's earnestness in getting to know Loki left him a bit baffled. Shy, even.</p>
<p>“Exciting place, New York,” said Walt. “The girls and I visited once, for Idunn's high school graduation. Got see a Broadway play, the Met, and everything. Sig was very easy to keep track of in her bright pink coat against all those black overcoats the New Yorkers wear. Right, Sig?”</p>
<p>Sigyn huffed. “<em>Yes</em>, dad.” Loki turned and grinned at her fondly.</p>
<p>“I've got a picture somewhere. But, that's not why you're here. Come on, we'll get you settled and fed. Need a drink? There's plenty. Beer, Sangria, water, lemonade...and Idunn makes a fantastic spritzer, can't beat it with this kind of heat. ”</p>
<p>“Walt, are we ready to start on the burgers?” Cynthia, Walt's fiancee, asked as she emerged from the inside, a platter of lettuce and tomatoes in hand. She brightened at Sigyn and Loki. “Sigyn! Hi!” She balanced the platter on one arm, attempting to half-embrace Sigyn. Loki took hold of the platter before it toppled.</p>
<p>“Allow me, if you please,” he said, steadying the platter and lifting it away from Spock's opportunistic snout. The greyhound groaned in disappointment.</p>
<p>“Why thank you, Loki,” Cynthia said, releasing Sigyn. “It's a delight to see the person who's made our Sigyn so happy. I'm so glad she brought you.” She gave him a friendly half-hug, ducking under the platter. “I'll show you where to set that down. And Sigyn, that fruit salad looks lovely. I'll take it in with the side dishes.” She relieved Sigyn of the bowl. “Help yourself to anything you like. Let me show you what we have.” She lead Loki and Sigyn to the deck, where Walt returned to setting up the grill.</p>
<p>“Loki, Sigyn didn't mention if you had any food allergies,” Cynthia went on. “But just in case, we have regular, dairy, and gluten free potato salads, and if you're not sure about anything, I have a color-coded list of everything here-” she indicated a sheet decorated with various colored dots and what they meant- Blue: Gluten Free, Yellow: Dairy Free and so on. “So you can just check which stickers are on in front of each dish. And, you can always ask.” The main dishes, most in need of the grill, were placed outside on the deck, along with the coolers, ice, plates, utensils, napkins, cups, and a large pitcher of Sangria, while the sides, cookies, and extra snacks were inside in the downstairs rec room, the back door propped open to allow easy access.</p>
<p>“Cyn!” Walt called from the grill. “Hilda's here, she needs help unloading the car. Probably binders full of wedding ideas to show you,” he added with a chuckle.</p>
<p>“Be right up!” Cynthia called back. “Well, see me if you need anything,” she said to Loki and Sigyn. “Great to have you, Loki!” She bounded around the side of the yard.</p>
<p>“So that was Dad and Cynthia,” Sigyn said bashfully. “They mean well. Sorry if they got a little...familiar. They just really wanted to meet you.”</p>
<p>“It's alright,” said Loki. “I suppose I'm not used to being accepted so readily.”</p>
<p>Sigyn lightly caressed Loki's cheek. A round of light chuckles from the older neighbors gathered near the tables stopped her in an instant. She glanced over at the onlookers.</p>
<p>“Aw, little Siggy, it's okay!” called one, laughing. “Though I guess you're not so little anymore, huh?”</p>
<p>“Ooh, she's gone and found herself a nice lawyer, too!” His companion added to more chuckles.</p>
<p>Sigyn's cheeks reddened. She quickly murmured something about the bathroom and immediately retreated inside to the rec room. Loki, rather than be left alone to the neighbors, followed.</p>
<p>He found Sigyn in the hallway that lead to the stairwell. Her face still red, lips pursed, she pretended to look at a framed photo of a lake but her eyes looked straight past it.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” He lightly touched Sigyn's shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yes,” she said stiffly. “It was just a stupid comment, that's all.”</p>
<p>“Why did it make you flee?”</p>
<p>“I just touched your cheek, and they go and gawk at me like I'm a zoo animal,” Sigyn sighed. “Little Siggy, as though I'm still a child to look down on and not adult with my own life.”</p>
<p>“It gets under the skin, doesn't it?” Loki said softly. “Never being able to break out of other's preconceived notions of who you are.”</p>
<p>“It does.” Sigyn took a breath and placed her hand on Loki's.</p>
<p>Perhaps a diversion was in order. “Will you show me around the house? I'd like to see it.”</p>
<p>Sigyn looked up at him. “You do?”</p>
<p>“Yes. It's part of why I wanted to come.”</p>
<p>“Alright,” Sigyn brightened slightly. “Well, you've seen the deck and the rec room, so let's head up.”</p>
<p>She showed him the kitchen, the upstairs living room where they spotted the two other greyhounds, Kirk and Bones, lounging on the couch. She showed him Idunn's old room, now a guest bedroom, and finally they arrived at Sigyn's childhood bedroom. She pointed out the photos and artwork displayed on the walls, recalling the stories behind each.</p>
<p>“And this is- was- my bedroom,” Sigyn showed Loki. “Minus the yoga mat and sewing machine, and add a lot more stuffed animals.”</p>
<p>“I can tell,” Loki remarked, looking over the small room. “The pale yellow paint, the sunflower bedspread...this red panda, it's very you.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Sigyn's cheeks reddened again. “Perhaps I am not as far from being 'Little Siggy' as I thought.”</p>
<p>“A flower should not ashamed at having once been a seed, darling,” Loki soothed, cupping her chin. “Especially not one that blossomed like you.”</p>
<p>“Aw!” A familiar voice cooed behind them. They turned to find Idunn standing in the hall. “That's so sweet.” There was nothing mocking in her tone, but Sigyn glared daggers at her sister anyway.</p>
<p>“Idunn,” said Loki, “Lovely to meet you.” He'd seen pictures of Sigyn's older sister, but he'd recognizer her even without them. Though she was taller, her hair blonder, her face possessed of fewer freckles, there was an undeniable resemblance in their eyes, their noses, the curves of their mouths when they smiles that marked them as sisters.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop,” Idunn added quickly, extending her hand to Loki. “I just wanted to say hi. And to let you know food's been served, if you're ready.”</p>
<p>Tender moment interrupted, Sigyn and Loki returned to the yard, resuming the home tour. “You've seen the deck, and there's the vegetable garden, which is new,” Sigyn said as they made their way to the back of the property.</p>
<p>She guided Loki towards the back of the yard, where a bunch of lawn chairs were already set up, along with a pile of logs and kindling for a bonfire. Beyond the fence line, the hill dropped into a long slope (“Idunn and I loved sledding down this way in the winter,” Sigyn added.) leading to a wooded area in the distance.</p>
<p>“You see that clearing?” Sigyn pointed to a gap in the treeline. “That's where they set off the fireworks. Can't get a better view.”</p>
<p>“There will be fireworks tonight?”</p>
<p>“Yes, it's part of the tradition, along with the bonfire and smores once the sun sets.”</p>
<p>“Sigyn!” An older woman, overdressed for the occasion with pearls and stilettos, glass of deep red Sangria in hand, waved up at them. “Sigyn! Hello!”</p>
<p>“Hi, Aunt Hilda!” Sigyn waved back. “How are you?”</p>
<p>“I am so ready to meet your guest,” Aunt Hilda said, making her way up, as fast as her heels would allow. “I hear you're a lawyer. I hope you've gotten a good amount of tenure under your belt, and perhaps you're starting your own practice? You know, I tell all the young people there's no better career path out there than law school...”</p>
<p><em>I hear you're an overbearing busybody</em> Loki thought as the woman recited facts about the legal profession with varying degrees of accuracy. Beside him, Sigyn seemed to shrink at this woman's presence. Aunt Hilda. Sigyn mentioned her more than any of the other guests on their way over. It was obvious Hilda caused Sigyn distress and Loki wished to defend her now.</p>
<p>“I'm sure they're listening closely,” Loki said with a thin smile.</p>
<p>“Oh, but where are my manners?” Hilda went on. “I'm Hilda, Walt's sister. And little Sigyn's aunt, of course.”</p>
<p>“Of course. I am Loki.”</p>
<p>“We'd love to chat, Hilda, but I think we were about to head down for food,” Sigyn cut in, shuffling away from a property line.</p>
<p>“Oh, well, don't let me hold you back, even though I hardly get to see you anymore.” She followed them back down the hill, regaling Loki with all the latest expert advice she'd gleaned about the legal profession.</p>
<p>“I was not aware you were involved in the field,” Loki said politely when Hilda paused for a breath. “In what practice, may I ask?”</p>
<p>“Goodness, no,” Hilda confessed with a laugh, oblivious to the subtle call-out. “Though I can see where one might think that. I happen to have a friends, experts, really, in the profession. Very wise. Very experienced.”</p>
<p>After patiently waiting in line, with Aunt Hilda rambling all the while, Sigyn and Loki found two free seats by one of the long tables near Idunn. Embarrassment over their first encounter faded as Loki asked Idunn about her dermatology practice, her canning and preserving hobby, and the apple butter she loved to make in the fall. Every once in a while, Sigyn noticed the other guests eyeing her and Loki, with silly grins on their faces, especially when she and Loki so much as exchanged a glance. Irked, Sigyn turned her attention to her plate, poking at the potato salad. They were not the only attendance. Her dad and Cynthia were <em>engaged</em> and yet even that didn't attract as much attention as little Sigyn with her special guest. She was an adult, she'd dated others before, why was it so strange that she was with someone now? Did they really think someone like Loki being with her was so novel?</p>
<p>The hours dragged on like that, each time a new set of guests, a round of introductions, and little comments about what a surprise it was to see Sigyn paired up. Loki remarked, more than once, that he'd been surprised to find that she <em>wasn't</em> paired up when they met, which eased Sigyn's discomfort somewhat. Still, she could not shake the feeling that she was lost in her own home.</p>
<p>Sigyn had lost track of Loki when Walt called him over to introduce a friend of his, and so she busied herself talking with some of her cousins. She tried to glance around for Loki but each time he was engaged in another cluster of people, working the yard as she'd seen him do before. The sun went low in the sky as the time passed, making it hard to look at her companions without shading her eyes.</p>
<p>From across the deck, Hilda gasped. “Sigyn, <em>no</em>.”</p>
<p>Sigyn looked over at her, startled. “No what?”</p>
<p>“<em>Squinting</em>, dear. It's so unflattering.” Hilda shuffled over and pushed herself between Sigyn and her circle of cousins, leading her away from the table. She poked at the corner of Sigyn's eye. “You can't go scowling like that. It makes you look unpleasant. And those lines, have you considered having your skin analyzed? There's a clinic for that you know. A dozen sessions, having you look like new. Just a few thousand dollars, not a bad investment.”</p>
<p>Mid-monologue, Hilda brushed a stray hair from Sigyn's forehead. “Which reminds me, we must do something about your coiffure.” She lifted Sigyn's ponytail with thinly-veined disgust. “Long hair is simply not sophisticated enough for a young professional-” She prodded at Sigyn's cheekbone. “Now if we took it up to here, and a nice new color, a rich chestnut, I think- Oh, my stylist would do such a marvelous job updating you. I'll make you an appointment. How's Friday sound?” Her gaze went over Sigyn's dress. “And perhaps we can get you a new wardrobe while we're on it. And a mani-pedi. A whole new you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn backed away from Hilda's continued prodding. “But I don't-”</p>
<p>“But you do,” Hilda said decisively. “Sophisticated. Sleek. Elegant. That is what you ought to be. It'll be so exciting. I'm so glad we're doing this! Oh, I can't wait to get rid of all that-”</p>
<p>Sigyn swallowed against the tightness in her throat. “Aunt Hilda, I...I think it's fine how I am.”</p>
<p>“Oh, no, oh no,” Hilda replied. “I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you now, but just think of who you could be with a little more finesse, a good polish.”</p>
<p>“Hilda,” Sigyn said with all the calm firmness she could muster. “You are welcome to your opinion but I like my appearance as it is.”</p>
<p>“I'm sure <em>you</em> do,” Hilda countered. “But imagine how happy <em>Loki</em> would be to see a new you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn scoffed. “What's Loki have to do with this?”</p>
<p>“Just imagine the look on his face when his new, stylish, elegant Sigyn, with a chic haircut and a fresh off the runway designer dress, and a good set of makeup, is unveiled.” Hilda kept looking Sigyn up and down. “He'd be thanking me for years.”</p>
<p>“And me? Do I get any say in this...imagined scenario at all?”</p>
<p>“Well, you don't <em>have</em> to do it of course, but were I you I'd strongly consider doing <em>something </em>if you'd like to keep him. And I don't mean to impose, dear,” Hilda went on. “But you know, seeing the two of you standing together, you don't exactly fit the part. Being on the arm of someone like him. A mismatch if I ever saw one.”</p>
<p>“I am quite sure Loki and I are both satisfied with how I look,” Sigyn said, hoping Hilda didn't notice her knees shaking. “Otherwise, we would not be together. And if he did want to change me, I'd sooner change myself back to being single.”</p>
<p>With that, Sigyn strode off towards the bonfire, leaving Hilda's mouth gaping in an O of shock. She shuddered, though the eveing was quite warm. Unsolicited advice was Aunt Hilda's favorite hobby. She'd go on entire monologues, rambling from one topic to the next of what her audience should do with their life, regardless of whether she knew what she was talking about or not. The woman would give advice on herding alpacas despite never having seen one up close. Because if Hilda was not an expert on a topic, then she knew an expert, or had read a book by an expert, or saw one on TV...</p>
<p>Most people simply grinned and nodded politely during Aunt Hilda's advice-givings. Sigyn wished she could shrug off her aunt's comments, but Hilda had a way of zeroing in on her insecurities, highlighting exactly what Sigyn feared about herself, all while framing it as a friendly suggestion from a wiser confidante. Everything from her appearance, her dating, or not dating, her friends, her education, her career, nothing was spared at least one monologue about what Sigyn was doing wrong.</p>
<p>That Hilda genuinely seemed to believe she was help made it worse. An remark made out of clear malice somehow stung less than words intended to help that just cut instead. Hilda had been, at one point, a source of emotional support for their father in the aftermath of the divorce, watching Sigyn and Idunn for free, coming by with homemade casseroles for dinner when their father had to work late, helping with chores, making sure she and Idunn had all the supplies and new clothing they needed for school when Walt couldn't find time to take them. Sigyn did have gratitude for her Aunt. She did care about her Aunt. And perhaps Hilda did care about her. Which only served to add guilt to her agitation, and left her feeling even smaller.</p>
<p><em>She's wrong</em>. Sigyn assured herself, picking at the ends of her ponytail. <em>She doesn't know Loki at all. She doesn't know what our relationship is. </em></p>
<p>But deep down, as always after one of Hilda's monologues, a seed of doubt took root. Did she really look that mismatched with Loki? Was Hilda right that he'd be happier if she were different? Did Loki secretly wish she were more sophisticated?</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>Was <em>that </em>why everyone kept ogling them today? Because they were mismatched? Because Sigyn didn't look like the type of person Loki would want to be with?</p>
<p>She tried to picture herself with the new look Hilda described. The new hair, designer dress, the heels, manicured...an image that didn't look like <em>her </em>at all, more like an attempt at playing make-believe, only real and all the time, a 24-hour illusion that interfered with her ability to shelve books at the library, help the kids at the day camp, and wouldn't it be strange to sit in class wearing an outfit that costs the same as her semester credits? The vision left her vaguely insulted. Would Loki actually desire that for her, even if she hated it? Would she really have to make herself single again after all?</p>
<p>“No, no, don't think that, don't think that,” Sigyn whispered. “He wouldn't be with you if he wanted you to be someone else. He'd just go and be with someone else.” Hilda's polite retort formed in her head. <em>I'm sure he adores you, dear, but...but...but...</em></p>
<p>She stayed at the edge of yard, away from the other guests, fearing more comments, a confirmation Hilda's words were true. A rush of warmth called her attention to the outskirts of the property. The bonfire ignited, lighting up the night.</p>
<p>The other guests had started to gather near the back of the property, and so she shuffled towards one of the trees, worried they'd spot her. The sun nearly set, the bonfire burning fresh, the fireworks would soon begin. Most of the lawn chairs were already occupied. She scanned the guests for Loki, but found no sign of him. Where had he gone? Was he sick of everyone after all? Did something happen? Concerned, she slipped away and went back toward the house, in the opposite direction of everyone else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been a long day, Loki mused, closing his eyes with relief when he found an area devoid of people. One conversation to another, without end, for the entire day. No one had been unfriendly. Overeager, perhaps, but he understood why Sigyn had been so nervous about today. Why she'd gone shy even though this was her family, her tradition. Each time he tried to make his way back to her, he'd be roped into another group of people. He'd noticed Sigyn looking increasingly upset as Hilda spoke and poked at her, but he hadn't managed to get close enough to get her away. He'd lost sight of her when she walked away, only to see the guests follow not long after. Finally, a chance to escape.</p>
<p>Excusing himself from the current cluster of people he'd been pulled into, he'd come inside to the rec room, where most of the remaining food had been covered, though the cookies remained out. Everyone else herded outside for the fireworks, but hours of meeting new people, people important to Sigyn, left him in need of solitude. The fireworks hadn't started quite yet, but neighborhood sparklers were booming outside, already creating a raucous. He looked over the cookies, finding only the oatmeal raisins left, and huffed in disappointment.</p>
<p>He was about to depart empty-handed when a whimper caught his attention.</p>
<p>Beneath a cotton blanket on the sofa, Spock peered out at Loki, trembling beneath his covers, eyes wide with fear. His tail wagged slightly at the sight of Loki and he stuck out a hopeful paw from under the blanket.</p>
<p>“Not overly fond of obnoxious booms in the sky, are you?” Loki came closer. Spock's tail wagged more. “It's alright, neither am I.”</p>
<p>As a child, fireworks had always filled him unease. The loud booms, unpredictable bright flashes and crackles, lingering smoke in their wake. Each time his family went to see such displays, he'd grew anxious as the sunset, knowing what was to come. All noise and flash that did nothing other than set his nerves on edge, looking and sounding far more ominous than it was. An illusion, a threat, that never failed to agitate him even as he knew the danger of the sky would not reach him.</p>
<p>Thor adored fireworks, cheering and clapping at each boom, eyes practically glowing at the spectacle. Loki remembered yearly celebrations sitting beside his brother, trying not to startle at each explosion, closing his eyes and covering his ears until the onslaught came to an end, while Thor couldn't get enough. A study in contrasts, the image of their younger selves seated on the blanket under the display.</p>
<p>A loud crackle. Spock pawed at Loki, whimpering again. Loki sat on the sofa beside the greyhound, offering a comforting pat on the dog's head. Spock moved in closer, curling by Loki's side while dragging the blanket with him, and rested his head against Loki's side. The whole sofa vibrated from his trembling.</p>
<p>More booms resounded from outside. Loki gently ran his hand up and down Spock's back in long, even strokes. “Only a few minutes, it won't go on forever.”</p>
<p>“Oh, there you are,” Sigyn said from the doorway. “The fireworks started, everyone's-”</p>
<p>She paused when Loki pulled back the blanket to reveal Spock. “I'm barred from getting up, I'm afraid.”</p>
<p>“Aw,” Sigyn replied. “Poor Spock.” She came to join them on sofa, taking up the space on other side of the greyhound. She reached over and scratched behind Spock's ear. “It'll be okay, pooch.”</p>
<p>Loki tilted his head. “We're not causing you to miss the fireworks, are we?”</p>
<p>Sigyn shook her head. “I just wanted to find you. I didn't know where you'd gone and I got worried.”</p>
<p>“Just taking a bit of a break from the rigors of festivities.”</p>
<p>They'd not had a chance to talk properly since arriving at the cookout. Sigyn hoped he was enjoying himself, though she worried he desperate to escape and only enduring the cookout for her sake. Outside, the booms and crackles and flashes carried on, and with most of the cookout guests arrayed in the backyard, Loki and Sigyn were afforded a moment of privacy.</p>
<p>“Has it been okay? Are you wanting to leave?”</p>
<p>“Not at all,” said Loki. “Everyone has been most gracious.” Indeed, Sigyn's father had looked him in the eyes and warmly welcomed him into the home, something Loki wasn't sure Odin had ever done. It was not a thought he wished to articulate, so he looked down at Spock. “This fellow in particular.”</p>
<p>“I'm surprised you've taken to him so well.”</p>
<p>Loki blinked. “Really? Why so?”</p>
<p>Sigyn shrugged. “I guess you've struck me as more of a cat person.”</p>
<p>“I can be amenable,” said Loki. “No need to judge a creature by species alone.”</p>
<p>“I'd always wanted a dog growing up,” Sigyn said. “But it would have been a bit much for a single dad, I know that now. Sometimes it's still a little strange to see greyhounds wandering around this place. We did have two guinea pigs, though. Poppy and Polly.”</p>
<p>“We had a dog once,” Loki said softly. Spock's trembling had settled, but Loki continued patting his side, no longer denying the memories conjured by the dog's head on his leg. “A husky. Fenrir.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Sigyn stopped scratching as she looked over at Loki. “What was he like?”</p>
<p>Loki cleared his throat. “He looked intimidating but was a bit of a teddy bear. Stubborn. Not always the brightest. He'd pin me down and lick my face when I came home from school.” He took a breath. “For a while I'd had horrific nightmares and was afraid to go to sleep. Fenrir would sleep in my room to keep me company. He'd place his head near my pillow if I was having one. Just knowing he was there alleviated the nightmares. He was like my protector.”</p>
<p>Sigyn studied Loki's face. Lost in his memories, his eyes were growing wet. She didn't want to make him weep with so many people just a few yards away. “He sounds like a wonderful dog.”</p>
<p>“He was,” Loki said with a wistful smile and a heavy sigh. “He was quite old when I went off to college. He fell ill during my first semester away...they had to put him down...they didn't even tell me he was sick...they didn't tell me anything until the semester was over. I found out when I returned home for winter break. For the first time he wasn't there to pin me down when I was back from school.” He voice broke slightly, and he rubbed a hand over his face.</p>
<p>“Oh Loki...I'm sorry.” Sigyn stroked Loki's forearm. Between them, Spock lifted his head, pointing his snout up at Loki with concern. Sigyn leaned forward as far as she could to embrace him despite the long dog between. “I'm so sorry to hear that.”</p>
<p>Loki took a few deep, long breaths. After a moment he opened his eyes and looked at her. “Thank you,” he replied quietly. “I've not talked about Fenrir in quite some time. But not because I'd forgotten him. I only wished I'd known...I was never afforded the chance to say goodbye. Was the last time I visited home until...”</p>
<p>“I can't imagine it,” Sigyn said quietly. “Coming home to find a beloved part of your life gone. They should have told you.”</p>
<p>“Frigga claimed she didn't wish to distract me from my studies.” Loki gave a rueful laugh. “I've no idea know how I did on my final exams, but I do remember that moment when I realized Fenrir was gone.” He shook his head. “I know not what I would have done had I known he was ill, but depriving me of making that choice...her intentions were good, I suppose.”</p>
<p>“But it still hurt you.”</p>
<p>By now the fireworks had finished their grand finale, and a smattering of appreciative applause sounded from the backyard. Neither of them felt any loss at missing the display. Spock sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“Hey,” said Loki, straightening. “I don't want to spoil your fun by ruminating on my past hurts. I understand there are smores out by bonfire?”</p>
<p>“There are,” Sigyn said. “And I think most of the guests will be parting soon, so we'll have the fire to ourselves...though I suppose I ought to help clean up a bit.”</p>
<p>“Ah, smores first, clean up after. Very well.” Loki looked down at Spock. “Shall we take our chances outside now that the danger has passed, my friend?”</p>
<p>Spock lead them out of the rec room just as the guests began saying their goodbyes. The night air bore the rich scent of wood smoke, and the atmosphere charged with a lingering spark long after the last firework burst. Sigyn bade farewell to her relatives and neighbors while Cynthia, Walt, and Idunn began to clear up the mess.</p>
<p>They found the bonfire on its last burning, though still enough flame to manage toasting some marshmallows. Sigyn and Loki settled by the two closest lawn chairs, poking their marshmallows into the fire with sticks.</p>
<p>“I think I always like this part best, even more than the fireworks,” Sigyn remarked, hastily assembling a smore. “Gathering together before a fire and chatting through the night...the flames are almost hypnotic.”</p>
<p>“Something intrinsically appealing about the fire,” Loki added, studying the flames. “Passed down from our ancestors, I'd wager. Huddled together for warmth while the fire cooks our sustenance...the bonfire pastime connects us to our forebears. It taps into an instinct that stretches far back into our lineage.”</p>
<p>“Plus the smores.”</p>
<p>“Plus the smores.”</p>
<p>Sigyn looked up at the sky. “I forget how lovely the stars are out here. You can't really see them in the city.” Overhead, the Summer Triangle shined among the stars. One of the first constellations Sigyn was able to identify after the Big Dipper, she couldn't quite recall the last time she'd taken a proper look at it.</p>
<p>“A shame, really,” Loki added. “Yet they are always there, above us, even when the city lights conceal them away.”</p>
<p>Sigyn considered his words, finding a measure of comfort in his perspective. “I suppose for me, the stars are what makes me feel connected to my forebears.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>Sigyn pointed to Vega, the top of the Summer Triangle. “That same star has been shining over the planet every summer long before the first humans ever took their first steps and has been there throughout all these millennia. Our ancestors looked up to it, told stories about it, and passed it along to today. All these massive changes, yet the stars abide over us every night. It's comforting, in a way.”</p>
<p>“Mmm.” Loki poked at the diminishing flames with his stick. “A small beacon.”</p>
<p>“A small beacon, yes,” Sigyn said, eyes on the star. “Though it's true it won't be there forever. Eventually even stars die out...and one day it won't be there to tie our descendants back to us.”</p>
<p>“Give or take a few billion years.”</p>
<p>Sigyn laughed despite the strange, sad turn her thoughts about stars had taken. Loki had that effect on her, tugging her away from her worries, pulling her back to the present.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Loki,” Sigyn said after a moment. “For coming here with me.”</p>
<p>“Why thank me? It was hardly a burden.”</p>
<p>“I know Possum Pines isn't exactly the most...sophisticated place in the world,” Sigyn replied. “The city has lots more to offer on a night like this.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps not, but I wouldn't change a thing about it.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“I <em>like</em> seeing where you grew up, Sigyn,” Loki said. “It's given me a little more insight into you. How you evolved into who you are today.”</p>
<p>“Oh? Good insight?”</p>
<p>“Sigyn, every discovery I make about you is an absolute delight,” Loki affectionately tugged her ponytail. “Each time I think the love I bear for you has reached its zenith, I uncover a new mountain range right beyond shows me how much more there is to explore in you. I come away wanting to kiss you harder, embrace you longer, cherish you with a greater passion I wasn't aware I possessed. Just as you are.”</p>
<p>The last embers of the fire burned down to ash, yet another fire, not visible, yet palpable in the small space between the lawn chairs, ignited anew.</p>
<p>Flushed, Sigyn leaned forward to pull Loki into a deep kiss, relieved that no one else was around to see her or make their comments about how sweet little Sigyn was all grown up. Alone, amid the dying fire, under the stars, she was free to express her love for Loki without the worry of what anyone else had to say about her or him. She forgot why she'd been so worried about bringing Loki today. Things had gone all right, but it wouldn't have mattered at all if it hadn't.</p>
<p>“I am so glad we came, Loki,” Sigyn whispered, breathless when their lips parted. “But now I can't wait to leave.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Unexpected</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sigyn learns the pros and cons of the unexpected.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sigyn looked over the wide dome of the planetarium, watching as the curators and their guest checked over the control panel near the front of the seats. Another week of museum camp had gone well, although now the teen group was in for their program. Though a visit to the planetarium seemed to generate a degree of excitement for the other age groups, Sigyn could never quite gauge the interest of the teens.</p>
<p>The week's theme was all about space, they'd invited an astrophysicist to speak for part of program, followed by a laser show about the origin of the universe. As the campers settled in, and the main curator began to speak, Sigyn stood near the back, checking to sure phone were put away and pointedly placing herself near anyone about to take a nap.</p>
<p>The doors closed, the lights went down. The main curator got the room's attention, going over the ground rules for the planetarium, and the laser show.</p>
<p>“Now, please welcome Dr. Jane Foster!”</p>
<p>A half-hearted smattering of applause. Undeterred by the lukewarm reception, their guest came to the center of the planetarium to begin.</p>
<p>“Thank you for having me! So, who is ready to learn all about physics?” Jane said with an overly-wide grin.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>Jane gave a self-conscious laugh. “Okay, well why don't we start with a few space basics? Who here has heard of Einstein-Rosen bridges?”</p>
<p>More silence.</p>
<p>Undeterred, Jane resumed her talk. It was clear Jane had a strong passion for her subject, carrying on with enthusiasm even as her audience's attention wavered. Sigyn listened, although a few times she wasn't quite sure she could follow all the terminology. She liked hearing people speak their interests, without interruption, it showed her what made them tick. Even if she didn't fully understand the topic, she liked seeing people's eyes light up.</p>
<p>When Jane finished, the floor opened for questions.</p>
<p>Even more silence.</p>
<p>Sigyn always disliked this part of presentations. She knew what it was like to be up there, sharing all her knowledge about a subject to complete silence, and find complete disinterest at the end of all her efforts. She wondered if the group was really that bored, eager to get on with the laser show, or if Jane's talk had simply lost them. Perhaps a little more relatable subject matter might bring them back.</p>
<p>Sigyn raised her hand. “How did you get started in science?” she asked. “And why astrophysics?”</p>
<p>Jane spoke about her father, her mentor Erik Selvig, and how she'd always loved the constellations as a child. She went on to talk about her schools, her degrees, and the pros and cons of the field. This line of questioning seemed to generate a little more interest from the audience. A few more tentative hands rose, mostly about STEM career paths, good schools, SAT scores. As Sigyn listened, she noticed Dr. Jane Foster wasn't much older than her, and a shadow of shame cast over Sigyn's spirits, over how long it had taken her to get where she was compared to her peers. Her own meager list of accomplishments came up pitifully short against everyone else she knew.</p>
<p>After the show, the teens cleared out of the planetarium. Sigyn helped clean up stray trash and close down while Jane gathered her materials.</p>
<p>“Thanks again for coming today,” Sigyn said as she walked up to the front where Jane lingering, fiddling with a gadget Sigyn had never seen before. “Excellent presentation.”</p>
<p>Jane glanced up, startled. “Oh, thanks. You might be the only one who enjoyed it.”</p>
<p>“I did learn a lot. They did too, even if they don't show it.”</p>
<p>“Well, thank you for bailing me out,” said Jane. She gathered up the last of her gadgets into her bag, following as Sigyn closed and locked the planetarium doors. She lead Jane down the corridors to the museum's main parking lot.</p>
<p>“How long are you in town?”</p>
<p>“Oh, just for the summer,” Jane replied. “Visiting family. Doing some consulting while Princeton is closed.”</p>
<p>“So you're from here originally?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Well, since 5<sup>th</sup> grade, after my parents separated,” Jane replied. “Then I left for bit...school, field work all over, then I came...left again...”</p>
<p>“You've traveled a lot?”</p>
<p>“Here and there. My dad called it chasing the stars. But I'm based in Princeton for the time being.”</p>
<p>“Do you like it there?”</p>
<p>“It's not bad,” Jane shrugged. “They have everything I need to do my research.”</p>
<p>“Neat,” Sigyn replied. “Did you ever go to the stargazing parties they used to have near Possum Creek Park? Before the area got all built up, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Oh, once or twice. It was a pretty long drive,” said Jane. “They stopped having them?”</p>
<p>“Too much light pollution, noise and things after the office parks opened,” said Sigyn with a wistful sigh even though she hadn't thought about the stargazing parties in at least a decade. Possum Creek Park once had a small observatory and during the summer, astronomy hobbyists would gather with their telescopes to chat and share views of the stars and planets, welcoming newcomers to take a look. She'd gone a few times over the course of her life, though she could not recall the last time. The observatory mostly existed as a landmark now, having gradually closed down as concrete replaced green around it.</p>
<p>They'd reached Jane's van, which looked like it belonged to a storm-chaser rather than a distinguished scientist from prestigious university. Sigyn realized she'd kept walked along despite having no reason to do so.</p>
<p>“Again thanks so much for coming,” Sigyn said, helping Jane load her belongings. “Perhaps I will see you around?”</p>
<p>“Well, if you're a night owl who loves atmospheric anomalies, you'll know where to find me,” Jane replied with a laugh.</p>
<p>As they parted ways, Jane's van pulling out of the lot, and Sigyn walking back to finish closing up camp for the day, Sigyn realized the name Jane Foster sounded familiar. She furrowed her brow, uncertain where or when she'd heard the name before, but knowing it was prior to the summer camp.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>By the week's end, Sigyn and Loki met up at last. She'd finished up her shift at the university library, grabbed her overnight bag, and headed to Loki's condo. He'd greeted her with a long, tight embrace, as though she were a lifeline. With a mixture of peace and relief on his face, he lead her inside. They hadn't made any plans for the evening, so after dinner Sigyn set up her laptop on the kitchen island to work on some assignments while Loki stretched on the sofa with an audio book.</p>
<p>They'd reached the point where they didn't feel the need to do everything together all day long. Though sharing the same space, it wasn't uncommon for Sigyn and Loki to spend their time working on separate things while enjoying the other's presence if they didn't have plans. Occasionally Loki might run out for an errand, while Sigyn focused on schoolwork, or Sigyn might take a quick trip to the library while Loki was otherwise occupied. Sometimes, like tonight, they'd simply spend time on solo things, pausing to meet each other's eyes across the room before returning their focus. In time, they'd be drawn back together.</p>
<p>Once Sigyn completed the tasks she'd set out to finish for the day, she closed out of CourseWeb and turned her attention to a different sort of research. This one involved fewer presentations and sources to cite, and more places to explore and ways to relax. JSTOR was quickly replaced by images of beaches and sailboats on her screen.</p>
<p>Sigyn had been to the ocean exactly twice in her life. The first time, she was barely five years old on a family vacation to New England. She recalled little about the trip, but her father was fond of reminding her how scared she'd been of the waves when they went to the beach. Idunn and her older cousins made a beeline for the water, splashing around while Sigyn lingered just at the shoreline. Each time she'd take a tiny step forward, the rush of a big wave would cause her to shriek and flee back to her little pink towel beside her parents. Eventually, with her father reassuring her and Idunn coaxing her towards the edge, she took a few steps into the water, grabbing Idunn's hand for dear life as waves covered her feet. By the time the vacation was over, she loved the ocean so much she'd cried when it was time to go home.</p>
<p>The second time, the summer she graduated from high school. She'd traveled to the closest beach- still several hours away- with a few of her friends for a post-graduation getaway over a long weekend. A last hurrah of sorts before they all went their separate ways. Though she'd thoroughly enjoyed the warm days by the sea, the trip bore a bittersweet tinge. The unspoken truth that the group of friends would never be this close again hung in the air even as they swore otherwise. She always looked back on that weekend fondly, though she'd lost contact with most of her high school friends over the years. It lingered in her mind a beacon of a more carefree time, no longer a child, but before the realities of adulthood sunk in.</p>
<p>Perhaps this was why her interest piqued when Loki mentioned his family's vacation home on Hlesey Isle, part of a string of barrier islands along the coast line. She'd never been there, but Loki had gone there nearly every summer for a large part of his childhood. Somehow, over the course of one afternoon conversation, the idea emerged that the two of them might head down some time. A few minutes and broad logistics later, they had a date of mid-July in mind, and the possibility coalesced into a plan. From that moment, Sigyn busied herself with researching Hlesey: things to do, things to see, things to bring, shops, what was near the beach house, and what to know before going, organizing a hierarchy of activities ranging from must-dos, very much want-to-dos, somewhat want-to-dos, and maybe-if-we're-in-the-mood-dos. The ever-evolving list, notes, and ideas went into her planner, along with dog-eared, highlighted, and tagged Hlesey vacation guides that Sigyn loved to flip through, though she'd had each page memorized by now. After she'd finished her coursework for the day, she rewarded herself with trip planning. She'd pour over her notes, determining which things to on what days, arranging and re-arranging for optimal vacation efficiency. Even the long drive wasn't spared- they'd decided the break it up into two days, and Sigyn marked hotels, rest stops, and gas stations along the way on her map, complete with time stamps.</p>
<p>“Loki?” Sigyn brought her stack of notes over to the coffee table. Loki sat up and scooched over to allow her room to sit beside him. “I need your thoughts.”</p>
<p>Loki popped out his earbuds. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“So I was thinking, this Cafe Ran place?” She rifled through her notes. “It has a really nice-looking Sunday brunch. It's really close to the aquarium so we could see both on Sunday and then move the lighthouse visit over to Monday...and did we want to see the historical village or is too cheesy? Because we could also swing by there on our way back...”</p>
<p>“View an aquarium and a historical village whilst full of mimosas?” Loki quirked his brow. “Entertaining indeed.”</p>
<p>“Good point.” Sigyn flipped to the calendar of events near the front of one of the guides. “Also, there's a Shakespeare on the Beach Festival while we're down there.”</p>
<p>“How would that even work? You couldn't hear the actors over the waves crashing.”</p>
<p>“So we'll put that down for a maybe?”</p>
<p>Loki looked over her shoulder at the notes, marked with various stickers and highlighters.“Oh dear. You seem to have left off a key component of our trip.”</p>
<p>“What?” Sigyn frantically shuffled her pages.</p>
<p>“Having fun.” Loki nuzzled the bridge of her nose. “We can see where the mood takes us when we get there. No need to plan out everything in advance.”</p>
<p>“This <em>is</em> fun for me,” Sigyn explained. “My mind gets to go on vacation for a bit even if I'm not there yet. Besides, I like researching new places. It's more enjoyable when I know what to expect and have a plan for what I'd like to do.”</p>
<p>“Research away, my sweet,” said Loki. “But do allow for some spontaneity.”</p>
<p>“I <em>have</em> allowed for spontaneity,” Sigyn retorted. “I've scheduled it from 9 to 11 on Thursday morning.”</p>
<p>Loki gave a half chuckle, running his hand down her bare leg. “Red pandas not withstanding, you're not particularly fond of surprises, are you?”</p>
<p>“I do like surprises,” Sigyn replied. “I just like to know about them in advance.”</p>
<p>Loki cocked his head. “You are aware such advance notice defeats the purpose, yes?”</p>
<p>“Not at all,” Sigyn draped her arms over Loki's shoulders. “If I know there will be a surprise, I get excited. The curiosity, the anticipation, it gives me something to look forward to.”</p>
<p>“Ah. Still, there is something to be said for the unexpected,” Loki mused, gazing over at her. “Being caught off guard often leads to life's finest pleasures.”</p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p>“Like <em>this</em>-” In an instant Sigyn was flipped onto the couch, with Loki on top of her. He held her wrist up and over her head with one hand while the other pushed the hem of her floral camisole up and away, exposing her midriff. Sigyn squeaked in surprise and delight at the sudden turn of events.</p>
<p>Loki's mouth worked over her body, while his hand slid down to the waistband of her pink shorts, undoing the button and sliding down the zipper with little effort. Sigyn threw her head back onto the green velvet throw pillow, her laughing turning into a gasp of pleasure.</p>
<p>“Isn't it fascinating, my darling,” Loki's voice, raspy from his heavy breathing as his hips pressed against hers, “That sudden shift from the mundane...to the sublime...that sharp, unpredictable turn...” His shirt was off, and soon hers followed.</p>
<p>“Yes...yes...” Sigyn breathed, writing underneath, shifting as her shorts were pulled off and cast away. “Fascinating...”</p>
<p>Sigyn arched her back, enveloped in the fascination. The fascination of Loki, turning from sweet, princely gentleman to downright <em>feral</em> around her, sometimes with the same moment. Intense yet tender. He nipped at her navel, causing gooseflesh to ripple where the warm, wet heat of his mouth and teeth met the cool air over her sensitive skin.</p>
<p>“And to think...” Loki said between kisses, “So many hidden treasures, just lurking around the corner...one never knows...what it will yield...like a trip to a jewelry store...”</p>
<p>Sigyn let out a small laugh, flush not just from Loki's efforts. Recalling their first meeting, she never could have predicted him coming into Infinity Gems on her boring shift that day, nor anything that came after. Even if she'd somehow been told in advance, she probably wouldn't have believed someone like him would enter her life. Nothing could have prepared her for Loki.</p>
<p>Loki pulled her legs up over his hips, a low chuckle emerging from his heavy panting as he entered her, starting slow as she adjusted, then swiftly moving faster, deeper, more fervent. Sigyn's gasping synced with his thrusts, growing closer. Loki redoubled his efforts, dropped his head and working his mouth under her jawline, drawing her to climax. Loki followed a moment later, falling against her, an affectionate kiss against her forehead as he finished.</p>
<p>Sigyn caught her breath while Loki slid out of her, dazed as the intensity wore away, her body pleasantly spent. Loki shifted upwards, his eye half-closed, a satisfied smile on his lips as he looked over Sigyn's prone figure.</p>
<p>“Have I made a compelling case for the joy of the unexpected, my love?”</p>
<p>“Indeed.”</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Sigyn returned to her apartment two days later, after another round of museum camp and her Resources for Young Adults class. She made her way along the street from the bus stop, finding crushed, empty Coors Light cans, silly string, popped balloons, and smashed potato chips strewn all over the street and sidewalk. More alarming was the sight of Darcy's Beetle parked on the curb, the rear-view mirror shattered and dangling by a thin wire. What had she missed last night?</p>
<p>She came in to find Darcy on the futon, scowling at a note. Mantis hovered nearby, dusting the living room while eyeing the note. Both looked exhausted.</p>
<p>“I see there was quite a commotion outside,” Sigyn said as she set down her bag. “What happened?”</p>
<p>“Bunch of dudebros across the street had a little get together,” Darcy sighed. “Outside. All night. At full volume.”</p>
<p>“<em>It's on! We're just getting started!” </em>Mantis added, in a mocking tone.</p>
<p>“See all the fun you miss when you're off with Mr. Wonderful?” Darcy scoffed.</p>
<p>Sigyn didn't bother to hide her eye-roll at the snide comment. “And what happened to your car? Do you know who did it?”</p>
<p>“Apparently some idiots with a golf cart,” Darcy groused. She held up the note.</p>
<p>Sigyn looked over the paper, barely able to decipher the scrawled handwriting:</p>
<p>
  <em>Dear Beetle-owner:</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sorry about your car. I saw some guys in a golf cart driving around the block in the middle of the night and they ran into the car and broke the mirror. I tried to chase them down but lost them when they went drove towards the Target...hope you get it fixed. :( </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>- A concerned Citizen</em>
</p>
<p>“Golf cart?” Sigyn furrowed her brow. “How did they even get a golf cart in the middle of the city?”</p>
<p>“Did they get to Target in their golf cart?” Mantis wondered.</p>
<p>“Who cares,” Darcy huffed, taking the note back. “Those jerks trashed the sidewalk, I barely got any sleep last night, and they messed up my car.”</p>
<p>“My brother can fix it for you,” Mantis offered kindly. “It will be easy to repair.”</p>
<p>Darcy rubbed her face. “Stupid, stupid neighbors,” she groaned. “Not gonna miss this. You two have a decision to make.”</p>
<p>The lease renewal. Sigyn looked from Mantis to Darcy. “But, you have a decision to make too.”</p>
<p>“Yeah...about that...” Darcy gave a slight grimace. “I'm sorta...doing an internship this fall. In D.C. So I'll be moving there for awhile.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” was all Sigyn could muster.</p>
<p>“Only for a few months,” Darcy added. “I'll be back in spring. But, there's no point in renewing the lease if I'm not living here. It sucks, anyway.”</p>
<p>From the corner of her eye, Sigyn caught Mantis' slightly guilty expression.</p>
<p>“My brother is moving into a townhouse, so he will not have to live above his auto shop,” Mantis explained. “He offered to let me move in, along with his other roommates. It will be cheaper and less noisy.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Sigyn mustered, again.</p>
<p>Mantis lowered her eyes. “I am sorry. I have wanted to get to know the rest of my family, and it is closer to my clinic.”</p>
<p>“No, no, don't be sorry, Mantis,” Sigyn replied, snapping out of her shock. “You need to do what makes sense for you. I am glad you'll have to get to know your brother.” Mantis had recently re-connected with her older half-brother, Peter Quill, who worked as a mechanic just outside the city. They hadn't grown up together, but they'd wanted to make up for lost time and Mantis had long wanted to be part of her own family.</p>
<p>“But what will you do?” Mantis asked.</p>
<p>Sigyn took a breath. “I'm going for a walk.”</p>
<p>“But you just got here.” said Darcy.</p>
<p>“Yes, well, I'm already prepared. See you!” Sigyn picked up her keys and walked out.</p>
<p>Sigyn often took evening walks, mostly around the neighborhood, down to the university park, occasionally up the steep hill before leading up to the busier streets. When she'd first moved in, such exploratory walks helped her get to know the area, and now they helped clear her head when she needed time away from school, and roommates, and work...</p>
<p>She set about on the path towards the university hospital. The sun hadn't set, but grew low in the sky, casting everything with an intense glow. Two U-Hauls were parked in front of different apartments, though Sigyn couldn't tell if someone was moving in or out. Move-ins and move-outs were frequent occurrences along the blocks near her apartment. In August there would be several such trucks along the street at any given time. Soon, Darcy and Mantis would likely have trucks of their own parked outside as they packed up and left.</p>
<p>It shouldn't have surprised her. The apartment wasn't the type of place where people stayed long-term. Most people in their area were students, newly-minted recent grads starting off on their careers, transplants from other cities who came for work and needed a place to live quick, or newly on their own for various reasons. Perhaps a few neighbors did live there permanently, most retired and keeping to themselves. Beyond that, the area was in a constant state of flux, embodying a interim space between where one came from and wherever one would head next. No one who sought out an apartment like hers with planned to stay. Sigyn, Mantis, and Darcy were always going to leave one day.</p>
<p>Sigyn hadn't expected that day to come so soon.</p>
<p>It wasn't so long ago, barely over a year, that they'd met, signed the lease, and moved in. She'd gone in hoping they'd get along, keep conflicts to a minimum, make the best of living with two relative strangers in close quarters, on top of everything else that had changed in her life when she'd started grad school. As the ink dried on the lease, the three of them were bound together, for at least a year. A thread that kept them tethered into each other's lives. Before long, she'd realized she liked living with Darcy and Mantis. They'd become her friends, had been there during her heartache.</p>
<p>Now, with Darcy leaving the city and Mantis finding a more suitable living arrangement, the thread would be severed. Sigyn would be alone, left to find her own way. Would they even stay in touch after this year? She ached to think of watching them drift away and out of her life, right when she'd started to feel close to them. Gone and away, just like Nanna. And her mother.</p>
<p>Her thoughts drifted back to her own plans. She could not afford the rent here living alone. She'd need to either find two new roommates, who might not suit her as well as her first two had, or find a new place very soon. The university had on-campus apartments, partially furnished studio lofts and one-bedrooms, barely a step up from undergrad dormitories. But even those run-down apartments where in high demand, usually with a waitlist unless one could shell out serious money for the privately-owned apartments just off campus, right along the main street. Tiny, expensive, and with a long list of tenant rules and nonstop traffic, she knew of no one who actually got lucky enough to move into one and was happy to stay there. Perhaps she could find a neighborhood further from the university, with less competition among renters. Even on the outskirts of the city she could likely find much more affordable options. Yet being further away would mean less reliable public transit to and from all the places she needed to be, and she liked being able to walk to her destination on nice days like this one. She liked being close to things, feeling like a part of the community.</p>
<p>When she returned after her walk, as twilight descended, she came back even more worried than when she'd left. Nothing seemed like a good option. She didn't want to lose her friends. She didn't want to restart the apartment hunt already. Less than 30 days to make a decision, and nothing seemed like a good option.</p>
<p>What was she going to do?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Nocturnes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Distant memories drive Loki into Sigyn's arms, and he makes an offer.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>You lying. Little. Bastard...”</em></p>
<p>“<em>Well </em>you <em>hurt </em>his<em> feelings when you lied about the field trip...</em></p>
<p>Loki clenched his jaw, eyes fixed on the ceiling. His father's angry voice, followed by his mother's gentle-yet-dismissive tone, echoed up from his locked away memories. The insult, the hurtful word Odin has called him when he found out Loki had faked his signature on a permission slip for a school field trip, caused his stomach to drop as hard and fast as it had that long ago day when he was barely nine years old. A long, furious tirade followed, though Loki could not recall most of it now, although those four words he could not forget. His mother's lecture had not contained the same harsh words, yet possessed venom of its own, in her belief that her young son had deserved to be called the horrible name because he'd done something wrong.</p>
<p>The hurt, the anger, the guilt, the rumination over the old wound on his psyche overcame him, as it frequently did as the night fell and he lay in bed. Any number of incidents, fights, old hurts he'd tried so hard to bury and leave behind would pierce through the surface, shadowing over him in the dark. A fresh torment to endure.</p>
<p>Another long night. Alone.</p>
<p><em>I was a child. Did I truly deserve being called that? </em>He'd apologized, tearfully, repeatedly, over the permission slip. Telling Odin he was right, he was sorry, he should not have done it. Over and over. And yet Odin never told him he was forgiven. Never expressed any regret for what he'd called him.</p>
<p>He tossed again, snarling at the frustration. He didn't want to think about it. He'd just wanted to rest. The harder he'd tried, the more the memory persisted, as though transporting him into that moment instead of to some dream or another.</p>
<p>He'd managed about two hours of sleep the night before. He'd hoped he simply succumb to exhaustion tonight, but despite his fatigue, his mind would not cease. The restless left him irritable, anxious, his mind a cloud, prone to snapping at the smallest provocations, like a report he'd requested arriving slightly late or being asked one question too many over the same topic. Entire days took on a surreal atmosphere, as though he were in a bubble, watching himself lash out. He'd taken to closing himself off in his office, leaving rarely unless summoned, in an effort to spare himself the little annoyances. And to spare the rest of the firm from <em>him</em>.</p>
<p>He sat up, slamming his fist into the pillow. The chaos of his mind, refusing to relent, a raging storm against the quiet hour. He checked the clock. It was not even midnight, yet he felt as though he'd been laying awake for hours. Weary, raw, and desperate, he rubbed at his face, surprised to find it wet. He'd tried so many things- extra exercise, tea, medicine to make him drowsy, reading, not reading, going to bed earlier, then later, then forcing himself to bed at precisely the same time to train himself to feel tired. Nothing worked, save one thing.</p>
<p>He stared at the empty space beside him on the bed. She'd worked tonight. They weren't due to meet again for another day. It was late. She was probably asleep. Not beside him. But he shouldn't bother her.</p>
<p>
  <em>Lying little...</em>
</p>
<p>After a moment's hesitation, he reached for his phone.</p>
<p>“Loki?” Sigyn's soft, concerned, voice answered.</p>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p>“Hi.”</p>
<p>“Were you sleeping?”</p>
<p>“Oh, well, I've gone to bed,” she said quietly. “But I can help if you need anything. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I just needed to hear your voice.”</p>
<p>“Did something happen?” He heard her shift, the flick of a light switch over the line.</p>
<p>“No...” Loki replied. “I just miss you. That's all.” He hoped she wouldn't hang up, leaving him alone.</p>
<p>“Did you want to come over?”</p>
<p>Loki bit his lip. It was late, he'd settled in, but here alone did him no good. He wanted, needed, to see her.</p>
<p>“Can I?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>“It's not too late?”</p>
<p>“Not at all. I'd love to see you.”</p>
<p>He couldn't bear the loneliness any longer, not when she was waiting for him. He threw off the covers and stood, fumbling for his keys. “I'll be there.”</p>
<p>Half an hour later, he pulled down the street where Sigyn lived, finding a free spot a few houses down. He walked down the sidewalk, not caring if he was spotted in his pajama pants. The few clusters of people sitting, talking, drinking outside paid him no mind. In the distance, live music filled the air, along with cheers. He couldn't quite make out the words, but he recognized the melody. A concert in the park.</p>
<p>He reached her apartment building. It looked quite different, lit only by streetlamps.</p>
<p>She waited for him at the foyer, stepping outside onto the front stoop when she saw him. She'd thrown a light jacket over her purple sleep shirt. Her mussed hair fell about her shoulders and her eyes were heavy with sleep. Still, the affection on her face as she looked at him caused him to practically sprint up the steps to see her.</p>
<p>“Sigyn, darling,” Loki embraced her with a sigh of relief. Her body against his calmed his nerves. “Hello, my sweet.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Sigyn kissed his cheek. “This is a surprise.”</p>
<p>“Sorry to disrupt your night, darling. I needed to see you.” Loki smoothed back her sleep-ruffled curls. Seeing her like this made him want to curl up into bed with her.</p>
<p>“You sounded upset on the phone.”</p>
<p>“I've been plagued by some...difficulties,” Loki explained. He ran his hands down the length of her arms. “I'm afraid I'm a bit restless.”</p>
<p>“Tough day?”</p>
<p>Loki shrugged. “My thoughts.”</p>
<p>She caressed his cheek, brow knotted with concern. “Your eyes...you have dark circles. Are you ill? Can I make you tea? Get you any medicine? I can check our cabinet.”</p>
<p>“Tonight I am only in want of your company, if you'll indulge me.”</p>
<p>“Anything you like,” Sigyn smiled. The air filled with cheers and applause as the song ended. It was followed by another around of cheers when a new tune began.</p>
<p>“Is that Could They Be Jotuns?” Loki turned his head in the direction of the music.</p>
<p>“The summer music festival is tonight,” Sigyn said. “As you can imagine I wasn't exactly sound asleep with all this noise anyway. It'll be wrapping up soon, I hope.”</p>
<p>“I've always been partial to this song.”</p>
<p>“We can sit outside, listen for a bit, if you like. Believe me, inside isn't much quieter.”</p>
<p>Loki nodded. The music wasn't so unpleasant from this distance, and the night was cool and breezy enough that it cleared Loki's head just a bit. He went to take a seat on the stoop when something caught his eye.</p>
<p>“Sigyn? There are wood shavings all over your front steps.”</p>
<p>“That would be from the Whittler.” Sigyn kicked the shavings off the stoop. They fell into an even bigger pile in the grass. “One of our neighbors.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” With the steps reasonably clear, Loki sat and Sigyn took a spot on the step below, beside him but slightly lower. She leaned her head against his shoulder. Loki put his arm over her, lightly stroking her hair and closing his eyes. The chaos within him quelled in her presence. He shifted, pulling her closer for more. She had no idea, the effect she had on him.</p>
<p>“So,” Sigyn spoke up after the song ended. “Is there a particular thought that's bothering you?”</p>
<p>“A few. One memory, in particular.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him. “Would you like to talk about it?”</p>
<p>Loki met her eyes. He'd gone over the event so many times in his mind, he simply had no desire to revisit it now. “I'd prefer to keep myself anchored to the present tonight.”</p>
<p>Sigyn squeezed his hand. “I'm here.”</p>
<p>They listened to the last few songs. After a bombastic finished and uproarious applause, the lights went down and the music ended for good.</p>
<p>“I always did like Could They Be Jotuns,” Sigyn remarked. “They came to my college awhile back. Everyone was so excited. I'd never seen the campus so lively.”</p>
<p>“Mmm,” Loki stretched his legs. He'd found himself beginning to drift off despite the noise. “I suspect the night will quiet down now.”</p>
<p>“It wasn't so bad, the music,” Sigyn remarked. “From out here, away from the crowd. But I think it's time to head back to bed. Join me?”</p>
<p>Loki glanced at the front door, an uneasy fear he'd invaded her space by coming here, imposing on her plans. Did she want him?</p>
<p>“You're certain?”</p>
<p>She tilted her head. “Yes, that's why I invited you.”</p>
<p>“I am not spoiling your night?”</p>
<p>“You're improving it,” said Sigyn. “I was happy to see you.”</p>
<p>“And your roommates?”</p>
<p>“They'll manage, as long as we keep quiet.” She stood, offering her hand. “Come on up.”</p>
<p>Loki hadn't been up to Sigyn's apartment in quite some time. She usually came to his condo do they could enjoy some privacy, and Loki suspected he wasn't entirely welcome by everyone who lived with her. He followed her up the dimly lit stairwell. The floorboards creaked loudly as they moved. She kept the lights off when they entered her tiny 3-bedroom. Loki's thigh collided with the corner of the coffee table and he bit back a yelp of pain as his leg smarted. She grasped his hand, leading him into her tiny bedroom down the hall, the dim light from under the door showing the way.</p>
<p>He surveyed the room, looking much the same as it had when he'd been there last. The fairy lights strung up along the walls in lieu of a lamp, the white, black, and yellow floral comforter rumpled from use, the little writing desk where she kept her laptop, stack of notebooks, and books, and the matching chair, the photos of her family, friends- and him- posted all around. Little figurines, most of animals, displayed on almost every surface, along with scented candles. In her window, the AC unit did its best to cool the bedroom. Standing in her space with its warm glow, he felt utterly surrounded by her, embraced by the very air.</p>
<p>“I'm afraid the bed might be a little small,” Sigyn said now. “But I can take the futon, or we can arrange it somehow.”</p>
<p>“No, no,” said Loki, not wishing to leave her space, even if the futon was longer. “I can make do with no trouble.”</p>
<p>He curled up, tucking his legs onto the limited space as best he could. Much more cramped than he was used to, and the mattress springs made their presence known beneath the pale yellow duvet. Yet as his head rested against her pillow, he'd already felt more rested than he had all week.</p>
<p>“See? I can fit,” he said, reaching over for her with open arms. “Now you, lie back as you normally would.”</p>
<p>Sign complied, laying back over Loki, pulling the sheet over both of them. She turned off the lights,</p>
<p>Only a few hours with her, but it would be a damn good few hours.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>The next morning, not long after she and Loki parted ways, Sigyn, Mantis, and Darcy piled into Darcy's newly-fixed Beetle and drove to outskirts of the city, ready for the day at Fetter Grove Park they'd had planned. The steel peaks of roller coasters came into view while Darcy drover higher and higher up the lot, searching for a free spot.</p>
<p>“So did like, <em>everyone</em> have the same idea as us?” Darcy huffed, driving to the overflow lot. “<em>Weekends</em> are supposed to be insane. Where'd all these people come from?”</p>
<p>“Everyone is from a university,” Mantis replied. “So they probably did have the same idea as us.”</p>
<p>“We thought of it first,” Darcy groused. She finally found a free spot near the back of the lot. The entrance to the park was nearly concealed by crest of the hill, and the trio began the long walk to the ticket booth. Going downhill wasn't so bad, but the walk back at the end of the day would be unbearable. Easily the worst part of any Fetter Grove visit, even the walk to the chairlifts, installed to each the upper lot, proved taxing after a long day. But that would come much later. For now, Sigyn looked forward to her first to Fetter Grove Park in several years.</p>
<p>Fetter Grove Park's humble beginnings dated back to the late 19<sup>th</sup> century, as a small camp of fairgrounds where immigrant workers and their families would gather on the one day off each week to celebrate their heritage and entertain themselves before resuming the tough, unforgiving work of the mills. Eventually new features to the grounds popped up, such as trolleys, a dance pavilion, and a collection of booths offering all manner of old world street food. But it was the development of the carousel that solidified the tiny fairgrounds' place as a soon-to-be staple of the city, and the theme park it would swiftly become. Not long after the carousel came the first wooden coaster, the bandstand, and even one of the world's first Ferris wheels.</p>
<p>While most other amusement parks prided themselves on having the fastest, tallest, most innovative, locked in an arms race over the next big thrill, chasing the next great title, Fetter Grove Park seemed content to be the most fondly remembered. It was the place where generations of families flocked each summer, over the century those who grew up spending their summers at Fetter Grove took their kids, their younger siblings, their nieces and nephews so they, too, could ride the rides their older relatives loved as kids. The long-stretching tradition was no lost on Fetter Grove. Though there were no shortage of modern touches, certainly safer engineering practices, and perhaps a new ride or two every summer, by and large the park retained its vintage feel. Many structures on the grounds retained their original designs, from the dance pavilion (now an arcade), the Ferris wheel, the carousel, to the Victorian-style candy and gift shop. When one stepped into the park grounds, one stepped back in time. On University Day, the park offered discounts for anyone with a valid student or faculty ID, one of several theme days over the summer, luring various guests onto the grounds.</p>
<p>And so, after purchasing their tickets, Sigyn, Mantis, and Darcy stepped back in time as they entered the park grounds, emerging from the long tunnel that lead from the ticket booths and into the main square. The smell of funnel cakes, Spud Spot fries, and popcorn filled the air, and the carousel music echoed all throughout the park.</p>
<p>“Loki is not coming?” asked Mantis as they reached the giant fountain by the gift shop.</p>
<p>“It's a weekday,” Sigyn explained, adjusting her wristband. “He couldn't take time off work. Besides, he's not a student. Wouldn't make sense for him to come anyway.”</p>
<p>“How tragic,” Darcy snorted.</p>
<p>Sigyn glowered at her but didn't want to spoil the day. Darcy had been less-than-thrilled to find Loki in the living that morning. Loki hadn't exactly helped by taking his time in leaving that morning, a sly smile as he greeted Darcy, languidly sipped his coffee while draping his arm over Sigyn, making small talk about the weather, the news, and wishing her roommates a most agreeable day, pointedly ignoring her narrowed eyes.</p>
<p>“So,” Sigyn pulled a notepad from her purse, along with a folded up map of the park grounds. She'd highlighted specific rides she wanted to go on, along with various notes. “Where will we go first? Personally, I think it works best if we go right, then basically make a circle around the park. Of course, going left might mean we'd be moving against the flow of traffic so fewer lines.”</p>
<p>“Or we could just...go on some rides,” Darcy replied, motioning past the fountain toward the first tunnel ride. “Come on.”</p>
<p>They approached the line, but stopped just before the partition. Something changed about the tunnel ride, known for decades as the Old Mill, a creepy but harmless dark ride. It was now re-branded at the Psychedelic Cat, refurbished with bright, garish colors, and surreal music.</p>
<p>“What the hell?” said Darcy.</p>
<p>“Ew.” said Mantis.”</p>
<p>“Ugh.” Sigyn crossed the ride off her list, irrationally annoyed that the ride had changed. The Old Mill was fine as it was, it didn't need some weird cat.</p>
<p>They moved on, heading first to the swings, then to the Screaming Lemur, the Dash, the Whirling Wave, the Glacial Glider...most rides Sigyn remembered from years ago. Yet her pace was slower now, she felt the effects of the rides after, her feet taking a moment to adjust to the ground, her stomach dropping and lurching when the rides swept her from the ground, her back and shoulders aching from being pressed against steel. She needed more downtime between the rides, welcoming the respite the lines provided instead of growing impatient like she had in her younger years. She liked the slower pace, it gave her a chance to observe her surroundings, instead of bounding from thrill to thrill until it was all over.</p>
<p>Towards the late afternoon, Sigyn waited for Darcy and Mantis while they lined up for the AirCoaster- essentially a bungee jump from the highest point in the park. The ride was just a tad too intense for Sigyn, who wasn't fond of heights. So she sat at a nearby picnic table, nibbling on a corndog from a nearby food stand. She checked the time, startled at how much time had passed since they'd arrived. It didn't seem as though they'd been there all that long, yet the clock, and her soreness, did not lie.</p>
<p>“SIG!” Two voices called from above. She looked up at the AirCoaster platform to find Darcy and Mantis harnessed, ready to drop.</p>
<p>She waved, tensing for a second as they dropped, then watching as they swooped forward and back, Mantis' scream piercing the air. Sigyn laughed, watching them swing back and forth until the cord slowed and stilled. They stumbled over to her picnic table.</p>
<p>“That was awesome,” said Darcy, plopping onto the seat.</p>
<p>“It was so fun!” said Mantis. “I thought I was going to die!”</p>
<p>“Damn, I need some funnel cake,” said Darcy, looking over at the food stand.</p>
<p>“Really? You're not still dizzy from all that?” Sigyn asked.</p>
<p>“I'll get over it.” Darcy made her way to the stand. "It's Fetter Grove. We're having funnel cake." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In no time at all, the sun set and the lights went on all over the park. They'd circled back around to the entrance, wrapping up the last few rides. They followed the flow of guests back under the tunnel, heading towards the exit. The shimmering lights of Fetter Grove Park faded into the distance as they made the long walk back to the car. The carousel music lingering in Sigyn's head long after it faded from her ears. Aching, sticky with sweat, incredibly thirsty, Sigyn sunk into the back seat once they finally found the Beetle.</p>
<p>Sigyn watched from the window as Darcy drove off, a melancholy settling over her as they left the park behind. Returned to the present, she remembered what would come in less than a month. Darcy wuld leave. Mantis would move out. And Sigyn would be left. They'd make promises to keep in touch, and perhaps they would, for a time, but they would not be this close again.</p>
<p>A day like today would not happen again.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Sigyn headed to Loki's condo once they returned to the apartment. The hour had grown late, but she suspected Loki would be awake. He'd alarmed her with his appearance the other night. As much as she loved having him over, she wondered how much of his grief he was hiding from her. On her way over, she stopped at the closest Surtur's for a small pizza to bring share, as she was quite hungry and suspected Loki hadn't eaten yet either. Her legs tingled from walking all day, and her shoulders ached from being jostled about by the rides. And her heart was sore from knowing the day, fun as it was, would be among the last she'd have with her friends.</p>
<p>Loki came out from his office the moment her key entered the lock on his door, pulling it open before Sigyn even turned the key. “My, my, you are the comliest delivery driver I have ever seen,” he quipped when he saw her. “I do not recall placing an order.”</p>
<p>“Figured you might be in the mood for a little-pick-me-up.” Sigyn kissed him, stepping inside and sliding off her shoes. “In exchange for use of your sofa. I may not get up once I lie down.” She handed him the pizza box. He flipped the lid open, nodding in approval at the green peppers while Sigyn located two plates, napkins, and brought them to the kitchen island.</p>
<p>“How was your Fetter Grove excursion?” Loki asked after a few bites.</p>
<p>“It was good,” Sigyn replied. “Fun...but also kind of sad.”</p>
<p>“Oh? And why is that?”</p>
<p>“The lease on our apartment is up soon,” Sigyn began. “I guess I'd assumed that all three of us would be renewing for another year but...Darcy is going away for a few months and Mantis took her brother up on an offer to move in, so we'll be going our separate ways soon.”</p>
<p>“A bittersweet occasion, then.”</p>
<p>Sigyn shrugged. “We're adults. People move on, move out. It happens. Life goes on.”</p>
<p>Loki regarded her, the slight slump in her shoulders he'd initially attributed to lingering soreness from the rides. Her slightly downcast Loki assumed were due to fatigue. Yet the afflictions on his dear Sigyn had a different origin.</p>
<p>“And with Darcy and Mantis leaving, I need to decide if I'm going to stay and find new roommates or leave and go apartment-hunting all over again,” Sigyn sighed. “And I need to do it soon or be stuck in an apartment I can't afford or lose out on all the decent rentals.”</p>
<p>An idea took root in Loki's mind, racing towards a conclusion. A chance, to ease his suffering, offer her a solution to her impending problem. But first, he needed her on board.</p>
<p>“Do you like living there?” Loki asked. “Without Darcy and Mantis? Does it suit you?”</p>
<p>“I do like it there,” Sigyn answered. “Well, aside from the noisy neighbors. And the leaky faucet. And having to beg my landlord to do anything. And how hot it gets... and it's so cramped!” She paused. “So maybe it does have its drawbacks...but, I have affection for it.”</p>
<p>“I see. Affection enough to stay another year?”</p>
<p>Sigyn shrugged. “It's not horrible. I'd manage...assuming I could find a way to pay for it.”</p>
<p>“If only there were some other alternative,” Loki mused.</p>
<p>“Like what? I've gone over all my options.”</p>
<p>“If only there were someplace you could live, that was spacious, right near the bus line, not terribly far from your campus, quiet, no landlord, for which you also harbored a great deal of affection...and a rather agreeable roommate, I daresay. Such a place may be right under your nose, my darling.”</p>
<p>“Wait, are you asking me to move in with you?"</p>
<p>“Well yes.”</p>
<p>Sigyn blinked. “Oh.”</p>
<p>“Oh?” Loki replied. “Oh yes? Oh no?”</p>
<p>“Oh...maybe?” Sigyn stammered. “I-I-I wasn't expecting you to say that.”</p>
<p>“And yet, I did,” Loki said with a sly grin, hiding his need for her yes. “So, what do you say? Move in with me?”</p>
<p>Sigyn stared at him, eyebrows nearly to the ceiling. “Um...well....I don't know?”</p>
<p>“You don't know?” Loki fought back the sting of her reticence. “I am offering you everything you asked for. A solution to your problems. Why do you hesitate?”</p>
<p>“I need to think about it, Loki,” Sigyn replied. “It's a big decision."</p>
<p>“Do you object to my living quarters?”</p>
<p>“No, I love it here.”</p>
<p>“Do you object to <em>me</em>?”</p>
<p>“Loki, I love you,” Sigyn replied. “But there's a lot to consider. How will we handle living expenses and things?”</p>
<p>“Hardly a concern. I own the condo and afford everything else easily.”</p>
<p>“Well, I'm not going to mooch off you, Loki. I'm going to pay for some things.”</p>
<p>“You've plenty of expenses of your own. I would not have you worry about mine when I can handle it.”</p>
<p>Loki hoped his reassurances would lead to the Yes, but instead Sigyn more concerned than ever.</p>
<p>“But it wouldn't be just <em>your</em> expenses, Loki. They, this place, everything, would be <em>ours</em>, right?” Sigyn countered. “I wouldn't just be your guest anymore. It would be my place, too. Right?”</p>
<p>“Of course, love,” Loki replied, ever more baffled by Sigyn's hesitation. Why hadn't she jumped at the chance to live here? She seemed to like the condo. Was it him? “Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>“Because there's a difference between my coming over to your place a lot and your place becoming my space as well,” Sigyn explained. “There's a difference between a guest and a live-in partner, even if I'm here a lot. You're so private, Loki. Are you okay with relinquishing your space, even part of it?”</p>
<p>“Are you saying you don't want to live with me?” Loki struggled to keep the hurt from his voice. “You think me too rigid? Too unaccommodating? Inhospitable?”</p>
<p>“I think you're wonderful,” Sigyn retorted. “But it's a huge step for us. I want to make sure we both know we're ready for it. I love you so much, Loki. I don't want to mess things up by moving too fast. In the end we haven't been together all that long.”</p>
<p>“What are you afraid will happen? Do you think I don't really love you?” Loki asked. “Or do you think you'll find you don't really love me?”</p>
<p>Sigyn sighed. “I'm afraid if we rush into things before we're ready, before we've ironed out what our lives will look like together...we'll spoil what we have. I don't want to lose you by not following the proper steps.”</p>
<p>“And what steps would those be?” Loki asked softly. “What do you need to consider?”</p>
<p>“Just...how do we live together? You need your solitude. I don't want to be the reason you can't get it,” Sigyn began. “Who will handle which chores? And again, finances. So many things will come up. What if we get on each other's nerves? Or end up so angry at each other over stupid things? What if...what if it doesn't work out? And we end up resenting each other?”</p>
<p>Loki scratched at his wrist, helplessly watching his chance to end the insomnia for good slip away. Did he truly get on her nerves? Did she think herself capable of resenting him? Did she already resent him? His face burned in the rejection, he cursed himself for asking her to upend her life for him.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Sigyn spoke up, pulling Loki back. “I have an idea. Why don't we revisit this after our vacation? It will be a test run for living together, just being alone for a week, see how it works. Then, if we both feel ready, we'll go for it. If not, nothing wrong with waiting a year.”</p>
<p>Loki bit his lip. Another year. Her idea wasn't unreasonable. Her concerns were fair. Yet he wasn't sure he could handle another year of anguished memories, evasive sleep, long hours ruminating on the past. He needed her. He needed her yes.</p>
<p>But he wouldn't hear it today.</p>
<p>“Do I have your word that you truly are considering living with me?” He spoke after a moment. “You're not just delaying to spare my feelings?"</p>
<p>“I am very much considering it,” Sigyn assured Loki with a squeeze of his hand. “You just caught me off guard. I didn't mean to make you think I don't want to be with you. I am warming to the idea.”</p>
<p>“So you'll think it over? Truthfully?”</p>
<p>“Truthfully. But let's enjoy our vacation first, without worrying over it. We'll both have some time to think it over and make sure it's what we want. If it's right for us, then taking a little extra time won't ruin it. Sound like a plan?”</p>
<p>Reassured, Loki pressed his lips to her forehead. “Sigyn, if there is one thing I have come to adore about you, it is your ability to make plans.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Road Trip!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Sigyn embark on their vacation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunscreen? Check</p>
<p>Aloe? Check</p>
<p>Bug spray? Check</p>
<p>Beach Towel? Check</p>
<p>Regular Towel? Check</p>
<p>Snacks? Check.</p>
<p>Bathing Suit? Check.</p>
<p>Birth Control? Very Important Check.</p>
<p>Sigyn surveyed the open suitcases stacked on her bed, right beside the piles of clothing, bottles of toiletries, sunscreens, books, and the crinkled checklist on top of the whole mess. She set her plastic bags on top of the clothing pile, and looked back over her list, adding checks beside the items she'd added.</p>
<p>Tomorrow they would leave for the beach, the first leg of their journey. Loki would pick her up after work to spare her having to drag her luggage around on the bus. She couldn't wait to get going, but worried she might leave something important behind unless she double-and-triple checked her list. She'd gone to the dollar store down the street to pick up road trip snacks and a few last-minute items.</p>
<p><em>What if my list isn't complete?</em> She thought, looking it over. Everything seemed to be there, and in her suitcase, her messenger bag, or the duffel bag she'd borrowed from Idunn.</p>
<p>“Damn, looks like a beach bomb went off in here,” Darcy's voice sounded from the doorway.</p>
<p>“A beach bomb went off in my head,” Sigyn replied. “Now I'm trying to sort it all out.”</p>
<p>Darcy poked at the bag from the dollar store, filled with new bottles of sunscreen. “Are you buying sunscreen for the entire beach? How burnt do you plan on getting?”</p>
<p>“The vacation guide said to bring a lot,” Sigyn said. “The idea is we don't get burnt.” And with how easily Loki burned, Sigyn figured they'd go through a lot.</p>
<p>“Pretty sure you can get more down there.” Darcy helped herself to one of the mini chip bags Sigyn bought for the long drive. “Along with like, most of this stuff.”</p>
<p>“Just making sure we have everything,” Sigyn replied, folding up her swimsuit. “He's picking me up in about an hour. Be nice.”</p>
<p>Darcy put up her hands. “No need, I'm holed up trying to land an apartment in D.C. Won't even poke my head out of my room until I have something that probably won't suck.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” The reminder dampened Sigyn's mood somewhat. “Have you found anything decent yet?”</p>
<p>“Eh, parsing ads for roommates. Filtering out the obvious scams, not seeing much.” Darcy shrugged. “Worst case, I chill at a motel for a bit.”</p>
<p>“Good luck searching,” Sigyn replied, unable to keep the sadness from her voice. “There's gotta be something out there.”</p>
<p>“It's a big city,” Darcy said between bites of chips. “Anyway, you can put up with almost anything for a couple months. Except for like, death.”</p>
<p>“Fair enough,” said Sigyn, nudging Darcy off the bed so she could reach her pile of clothes.</p>
<p>“So what are you going to do?” Darcy asked. “Have a plan yet?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Well, maybe.” Sigyn took a breath. “Loki asked me to move in with him.” She braced herself for some snide comment about Loki or a lecture on every reason why living with him was a terrible idea.</p>
<p>Darcy raised her eyebrows, but no snide comment or rant came. “You gonna?”</p>
<p>“Thinking about it,” Sigyn replied. “I'm not sure yet. I want to, it's not far from campus, less expense, I like being there, and he seemed eager to have me but...I need to make sure it's the right thing.”</p>
<p>To her shock, Darcy replied, “I think you should go for it.”</p>
<p>Sigyn blinked. “You're in favor of me living with Loki?”</p>
<p>“If you want to, yeah. Why?”</p>
<p>“But...you don't even like him.”</p>
<p>“Which is why I'm not the one dating him,” Darcy replied. “Okay, yeah, I'm not a fan of the guy. But I am a fan of you, and if it's what you want, you should do it.”</p>
<p>“You think so?” Darcy's unexpected support gave Sigyn a slight nudge past her hesitation. If Darcy saw the move as a positive one for Sigyn, perhaps taking the next step wasn't as daunting as she'd feared.</p>
<p>“It's not my business, but yeah.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Sigyn reached over to hug her friend.</p>
<p>“No prob,” said Darcy, “Besides, he lives in a freaking <em>condo</em>.”</p>
<p>A knock at their front door. Sigyn checked the time and yelped. Loki had arrived and she still hadn't finished packing.</p>
<p>
  <b>*</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Meet you all the way, meet you all the way<br/>Meet you all the way, meet you all the way, Rosanna, yeah </em>
</p>
<p>Sigyn sang along to the music as the Jaguar made its way down the highway. They'd left more or less after breakfast, which Loki fetched from the deli down the street from his condo. Sigyn had spent the morning checking over her various lists, ensuring everything was packed and accounted for, and putting together a road trip playlist. Once the car was packed to the gills, she'd insisted on running back up to the condo for one final check, ensuring no bags were forgotten and all lights and faucets were off and the door was locked. Only then could Loki finally get her into the car and their journey to Hlesey began.</p>
<p>They'd been on the road for three hours, leaving the city behind and taking the first of several highways, bridges, and toll booths. It was a long drive he'd gone on ages ago, usually in the backseat of his family's Lexus, sandwiched between Thor and Hela. Thor demanding to know when they would be there, wanting to stop at every rest stop, candy store, and drive-thru they passed, while Hela stared gloomily out the window, tuning them all out with her Walkman. Loki would busy himself with word searches and crossword puzzles until Thor started pestering him out of boredom.</p>
<p>If someone were to ask Loki if he liked the beach, any water-related activity beyond a relaxing soak in his own tub really, he would have given an emphatic no. Too hot, scratchy sand everywhere that took ages to go away, salt water forcibly entering every orifice, having to rub oneself with thick, unpleasant lotion lest one's skin burn and blister, having to appear half-naked in front of complete strangers. To say nothing of other beachgoers screaming and littering, ruining any alleged serenity. <em>No thank you</em>, Loki would say. <em>I do not care for the beach at all</em>.</p>
<p>So why were they driving out to Hlesey now? Even Loki was not entirely sure. Perhaps seeing how Sigyn's eyes lit up when he first mentioned the beach house, her interest in this forgotten part of his life stirring up some latent fondness for the place. Perhaps seeing her planning, asking about this shop and that nature trail, proved more infectious than he'd realized. When she'd asked him what he'd like to do, what his favorite parts of such visits were, perhaps his sentiment found a new target. Regardless, he came to regard this trip with a strange mixture of anticipation for a vacation with Sigyn, showing her the sights of a new place, and trepidation over the tide of memories about it hit him like a sailboat in a maelstrom.</p>
<p>For now, he drove along the stretches of highway, into territory both familiar yet strange, away from home and towards an escape, dutifully sticking to the schedule Sigyn had outlined, hoping to reach the hotel they'd reserved later this evening, right at the halfway point of their travels. She'd hoped to stay on track, but Loki knew such long drives rarely ended when they were supposed to.</p>
<p>Sigyn paused her singing to offer Loki a sandwich cracker from the snacks she'd supplied. “Need a boost? Water?”</p>
<p>“I'm managing, darling,” Loki replied. “I must say, you are proving to be a most agreeable road companion. Most long trips involve much more surliness and impatience.”</p>
<p>“I guess I don't really mind it. My dad didn't get much vacation time, but when he did he'd mostly take us on long road trips,” Sigyn explained. “Usually we'd end up stopping at weird roadside attractions on the way. And we'd only stay at Holiday Inns, because of the free breakfast and all. I'm something of an expert on long car rides.”</p>
<p>“And why have you selected a Howard Johnson's? A desire to mix things up?”</p>
<p>“They're very different, once you learn to recognize the subtitles,” said Sigyn. “It was also much closer to the highway and had a swimming pool.”</p>
<p>“Ah, I trust your expertise in this arena,” said Loki, turning onto an exit leading south.</p>
<p>“I guess you were never a big fan of road trips?”</p>
<p>“They served a purpose,” Loki replied. “Never very pleasant. Not with my family. Lots of bickering, leg cramps, motion sickness. But they did bring us to our destination.”</p>
<p>“Well, with just the two of us, we can make it much more pleasant,” Sigyn smiled. A new song came on her playlist. She hit the skip button a few times until a favorable one came on.</p>
<p>“Darling you did select all of these songs, did you not?”</p>
<p>“Most of them. I picked a few with you in mind.”</p>
<p>“Then why did you skip some? Do you typically make playlists with songs you don't enjoy?”</p>
<p>“Wasn't the mood for those ones yet,” Sigyn explained. “We need something good for the highway.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Highway to the Danger Zone!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gonna take a ride into the danger zone!</em>
</p>
<p>“See?” Sigyn said with a laugh. “This one's much better.”</p>
<p>Loki squeezed her knee, enjoying the drive. “It is, darling.”</p>
<p>Later in the afternoon, they stopped at a diner near a gas station. Sigyn grabbed a booth while Loki filled the Jaguar. She took her time, stretching out her legs after sitting so long. They were somewhere in the middle of state, at an epicenter of a little town that lead to several highways. She ordered two iced coffees while waiting for Loki, looking over the menu. Judging by the vehicles in the busy parking lot, all packed to the gills with luggage, most of the diners were also on long road trips. She wondered where all those other people where headed, how far from home they were. She was always curious about the other travelers' comings and goings, though her parents had stopped her from asking long ago.</p>
<p>Loki entered the diner after a few moment, sliding into the seat across from her. “Ooh, iced coffee? An excellent choice, love.”</p>
<p>“Figured you needed a little boost,” Sigyn said, handing him a menu. “And maybe a nap. Supposed to be really effective, having coffee and then a quick nap after.”</p>
<p>“I doubt they'll approve of me dozing under the booth,” Loki quipped.</p>
<p>“Perhaps you could lie back and let me take over the driving for a bit,” Sigyn offered. “We're mostly following the highways. I could manage.”</p>
<p>Loki quirked his brow. “You want to drive? <em>My</em> car?”</p>
<p>“Why not? I <em>can </em>drive, I just don't own a car right now.”</p>
<p>Loki furrowed his brow. “The Jaguar?”</p>
<p>“Yes, unless you happened to trade-in for a new car in the last five minutes. I could even handle an hour or two, give you a little break.”</p>
<p>“We are taking a little break, are we not?”</p>
<p>“I mean from driving. It's taxing. I don't mind, really,”</p>
<p>“We'll see,” Loki said quickly as the server approached.</p>
<p>By the time Sigyn finished her tuna melt and Loki his stack of blueberry pancakes, they were just about ready to hit the road for another long stretch.</p>
<p>“How about my offer?” Sigyn asked as the crossed the parking lot. The cloud cover had been burned away by the afternoon sun, and Sigyn felt the heat of the asphalt under her flip-flops. “Trust me with the Jaguar while you relax a bit? Say, until we get to the next rest stop?”</p>
<p>Loki looked at the Jaguar, then back at her. “You are comfortable driving a car like this?”</p>
<p>“A car is a car, Loki,” Sigyn replied. “It's the quality of driver that counts. I'll take good care of it, promise.”</p>
<p>Loki, after a pause, handed her the keys. Sigyn climbed into the driver's seat, adjusting it forward and up, while Loki adjusted the passenger seat down and back, reversing their positions to match their height difference, and buckled up. Loki gave a quick overview of the dashboard, and Sigyn revved the engine. It came to life with a deep purr. She pulled out of the parking lot, and back onto the highway. The Jaguar was astonishingly smooth. It felt like driving pure power in a way that made Sigyn want to press down on the gas and go faster and faster. Loki watched her like a hawk for a few minutes, then eventually relaxed, tilting the seat back and closing his eyes.</p>
<p>Sigyn drove the Jaguar along the highway, enjoying the how it handled compared to the old Ford Focus she'd driven for a few years after she'd gotten her license. She'd bought it used after graduation to get back and forth to college and her part-time jobs. The Focus, several years and thousands of miles past its prime, did its job well, mostly, aside from the winter months if it snowed more than two inches. She'd sold it prior to moving to the city, with a bit of regret even though she didn't need it anymore.</p>
<p>The Jaguar was the opposite of the Focus in nearly every way imaginable. Complex, exciting, luxurious, it made driving <em>fun</em>. The powerful-yet-smooth ride made her feel as though she owned the road, not the 18 wheelers and SUVs that surrounded her.</p>
<p>“I would not get too attached, my sweet,” Loki murmured, watching her through half-closed lids. “I will be having my car back.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you'll get it back,” Sigyn replied with a sly grin. “Maybe a little later than you thought.”</p>
<p>An hour later, the GPS on Loki's phone had her exit, moving over the next state line. She slowed, bringing the speed down to follow the next stretch of long road. The diner stop put them slightly behind schedule, though they were on track to reach the hotel in time for a late dinner. She drove on, going with the flow of traffic at a decent clip, confident her planning skills had paid off.</p>
<p>Her confident drive came to a not-so-screeching halt as the cars ahead stopped moving forward. She slowed coming up close behind on the car in front. Ahead, she could see the cars lined up along the road, miles ahead.</p>
<p>The traffic slowed to a crawl, then to a standstill. Orange signs, traffic cones, and a blinking arrow posted all over the road indicated construction ahead, and a detoured route. The cars from the left lane merged into the right lane at a painfully slow pace.</p>
<p>“What's this?” Sigyn huffed. “There wasn't anything about road construction on any of the maps I checked.”</p>
<p>Loki's phone pinged: <em>Warning. Construction Ahead. </em>The GPS updated their expected time of arrival, pushing it forward almost two hours.</p>
<p>“Thank you, GPS,” Loki scoffed, sitting up. “We never would have guessed.”</p>
<p>“<em>Two hours</em>?” Sigyn groaned. “We were doing so well!”</p>
<p>Loki reached for his phone. “Perhaps an alternate route...” He poked at the GPS. “Mmm. It's offering the very helpful suggestion of...following the posted detour. How wise.”</p>
<p>Sigyn tapped her hand against the steering wheel, clenching her teeth. The sun shining through the windows suddenly felt very hot on her arms. At a snail's pace, the traffic inched forward. Song after song played on the radio, only marking how much time passed while they moved no further. On Loki's phone, the estimated time of arrival went later and later.</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Sigyn grunted. “Just...<em>move</em>.”</p>
<p>“Technically, they are moving,” Loki mused. “Very, very slowly.”</p>
<p>“Jerks,” Sigyn groused. “We've got places to be.”</p>
<p>Loki chuckled. “As do all those other cars.”</p>
<p>The line of traffic dragged along for an interminable time. Sigyn's muscles tensed and strained from sitting, and the lack of movement with so much more driving ahead. Her careful plans pushed further and further back. She followed along the detoured route, but it did little to ease the heavy traffic.</p>
<p>By the time they'd passed the construction, the sun had fallen low enough in the sky that Sigyn had trouble seeing, with the bright rays back-lighting everything in sight. They reached the next exit for a new highway, picking up a decent speed at last.</p>
<p>Sigyn relinquished the keys to the Jaguar back to Loki when they pulled into the next rest stop, a very quick respite to make up for the delay. The sun had set almost completely, and there was still more driving to do before they reached the hotel. Sigyn's sour mood lifted in the twilight, now that they were back on track. She settled back into the passenger seat as Loki took back control of the Jaguar. As the miles passed, the GPS updated slightly to an earlier arrival. The last few hours drifted by under the highway lights.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Much later than expected, they pulled up to the Howard Johnson. Loki's eyelids were heavy, and he was weary from hours behind the wheel. The moon was full, the lights from the highway in the distance, the neon sign at the entrance provided plenty of illumination, even from the back lot. Crickets chirped loudly all around as they unloaded one bag each from the car. The hotel was quiet, with the local news playing on a TV screen near the sitting area. A display of brochures sat underneath. The front desk agent, bored from the slow night, perked up when they came through the double-doors. They checked in with little fanfare, eager for the long day to end.</p>
<p>Upon reaching their room, they tossed their bags near the closet, collapsing onto the bed at almost the exact same time.</p>
<p>“I think that may have been one of the longest drives I've been on,” Sigyn sighed after a few minutes. “In a very long time, at least. Maybe out to California was longer.”</p>
<p>“We've still another few hours tomorrow,” Loki remarked. “And probably more delays.”</p>
<p>“Well, tonight we can rest up,” Sigyn smiled. “But first I need a shower.”</p>
<p>“Shower?”</p>
<p>“I feel all sticky and gross.” Sigyn stood, peeling off her shirt and tossing it aside. “I'll feel so much better with a nice cool shower. Won't be long.”</p>
<p>Loki listened to the stream of water from the bathroom. He rested his forearm over his head, stretched out on the bed. With his shoes off, his shirt unbuttoned, his hair billowing softly beneath the ceiling fan, the effects of the road slowly crept over him, in the form of stiff thighs, a parched throat, and an ache behind his eyes. The TV was on, but he paid it little mind. He surveyed the room. There was something he'd always liked about hotels. The slightly-scratchy covers, the too-cold pillows and sheets, the strange flower art framed on the walls, the strange carpeting that stretched down long corridors. No matter the location, the chain, certain aspects did not change. A large facsimile of the comforts of home, yet all the while strangely uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Sigyn appeared a few moments after the water stopped, a towel covering her body. She located her pajamas from her bag, tossing the towel off as she changed.</p>
<p>“Much better!” she cuddled up beside him on the bed. She smelled of hotel soap and lotion. “All yours.”</p>
<p>“I'm afraid I'm far too comfortable to move,” Loki murmured, kissing her forehead. The pillow under his head possessed all the firmness of a marshmallow. All fluff, it gave his head little support against the mattress. He reached up for a second one, propping it under the first. It, too, proved quite flimsy, but together the pillows would suffice.</p>
<p>“Alright, we can stay like this.” Sigyn nuzzled his neck. Loki, succumbing to drowsiness, switched off the TV, relishing Sigyn's presence instead.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something?” Sigyn asked after a moment.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“This trip...perhaps I should have asked earlier but...will you be okay?” Sigyn brushed his hair aside with her hand. “The memories and all? I know it's been an emotional time for you.”</p>
<p>Loki looked down at her. “There will be memories,” he began. “But I am prepared for them. It has been a very long time since I've been down there. Who knows what the past will dredge up.”</p>
<p>“We don't have to stay if it ends up hurting.”</p>
<p>“It may,” Loki mused. “But I think I may need this.”</p>
<p>“You need the hurt?”</p>
<p>“I need...” his voice trailed off. “Well, I don't know what I need. I think that may actually be part of my problem.”</p>
<p>“You're still searching?”</p>
<p>“I suppose that's part of my own motives for this excursion,” Loki replied, eyes on the ceiling. “I'm searching for something. Something to help with my...” he waved his hand broadly. “Perhaps it's in my past.”</p>
<p>“You think coming down to Hlesey will help you find it?”</p>
<p>“Perhaps,” Loki answered. “An excavation. And if I do...I hope it's something I'm glad to find, not...” he swallowed, trailed off again.</p>
<p>Sigyn met his eyes. “Not what?”</p>
<p>Loki shook off his reverie. “Not to worry. We'll find out when we get there.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Sigyn arrive at Hlesey.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Loki woke the next morning after a fitful sleep. His restless nature compounded by sleeping in a new location. The pillows never quite provided enough support, and an odd tapping sound by the window roused him around midnight. He got up to investigate, finding the blinds over the window hung too low over the air conditioner. The cold air blew the blinds against the sill, tapping loudly. He'd stumbled out of bed, fixed the blinds, then crawled back in. The nuisance alleviated did little to bring about more rest. Once the sun came out, Sigyn, who hadn't moved much at all during the night, moaned softly and shifted. Another long day of driving ahead, but then they'd finally reach Hlesey, and the beach house.</p>
<p>“Mmph,” Sigyn rolled to a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. “Morning.”</p>
<p>“Sleep well, love?” Loki asked, kissing her cheek.</p>
<p>“Well enough,” Sigyn yawned. “A little restless. I'm just really excited to get there.”</p>
<p>They came down for breakfast, a tiny spread set up in the little dining area near the front desk. A handful of other guests wandered down, but there wasn't much wait at the moment. Loki sipped a little Styrofoam cup of coffee and picked at a danish, looking over the free newspapers on offer. Sigyn took a seat across from him, paper bowl of cereal, a banana, and little cup of tea in her arms.</p>
<p>“What time should we leave?” Sigyn asked between bites of cereal.</p>
<p>“We can't get the keys until after 3pm,” Loki replied. “Sometime before that, I imagine.”</p>
<p>“Oh, well then we don't need to rush out of here. If anything we're likely to get there early.”</p>
<p>Loki gave a knowing chuckle. “Darling we will <em>not </em>get there early.”</p>
<p>“We're only about five hours out.”</p>
<p>“Five hours, not counting traffic, construction, and rest stops. And just wait till you see the bridges.”</p>
<p>Sigyn's face fell. “Should we get going soon then?”</p>
<p>Loki squeezed her hand. “Whenever we like. It may be a journey, but we don't need to rush.”</p>
<p>As they ate, Sigyn looked up at the overhead TV, showing a local morning program. “I've always liked watching morning shows in other places,” she remarked. “It's all the same hokey bits, same types of hosts, with slight variations. Kind of neat, in a way, the little variations in a new place.”</p>
<p>“Incessant chatter, weather jokes, overly cheerful grins,” Loki observed. “Far too chipper for me in the morning. Please just tell me what I must know for today and be done with it.”</p>
<p>Sigyn giggled. “You may have missed your calling as a morning show producer, Loki.”</p>
<p>Loki nodded. “No silly pet tricks, no insipid interviews with the 4H club or whoever they pull in, no shilling whatever new diet fad will eventually end up killing people. I happen to think I'd do quite well.”</p>
<p>“If I were a morning person, I would watch,” Sigyn replied. “Although you have gotten me out of bed before dawn on more than one occasion.”</p>
<p>“A rare triumph, I take it?”</p>
<p>“Only my alarm clock has you beat,” said Sigyn. “Although I am certainly more amenable to you.”</p>
<p>Loki gave a knowing smirk. “I have seen the rather...unpolite gestures you make when your alarm goes off. Really, it's only doing the task you requested of it.”</p>
<p>“I'm sure it appreciates the time away from me. I know I won't miss it while we're at the beach,” Sigyn quipped.</p>
<p>“Well, then,” said Loki, clearing his empty plate, “Shall we begin the next leg of our journey?”</p>
<p>
  <b>*</b>
</p>
<p>Neither of them saw reason to linger at the hotel, so they checked out not long after breakfast, loading up the Jaguar and heading off to the highway. Sigyn loaded up the playlist, Loki rolled down the windows, enjoying the cool morning air. Having set out ahead of Sigyn's planned schedule, Sigyn felt certain they'd get to the house by 3, despite Loki's warnings.</p>
<p>The time passed slowly, a blur of fields, exits to random towns, farm stands, and billboards. Long stretch after long stretch. More than halfway to Hlesey, but still nowhere near close. Sigyn watched the scenery pass by, wondering about the little towns, the roadside stands, the strange places on the billboards. What would it be like to live in these places she'd never heard of? What things were there to see? To experience?</p>
<p>They passed over the first bridge, linking one side of a long, wide river to another, with little fanfare. Still ahead of schedule, Sigyn suggested a quick rest stop break. Loki pulled into the next stop they came across, one with large, long corridors leading to a food court, gift shops, restrooms, and information desks. The longest, largest rest stop Sigyn had ever seen, with crowds pushing through the long corridors, lining up at the food court, waiting for a stall to open in the restroom.</p>
<p>Sigyn lost track of Loki among the crowd, not finding him in any of the lines. The smell of warm pretzels lured her to one of the lines. She waited patiently, but the line seemed to some to a complete halt just as she neared the front. It seemed they'd run out of pretzels, and were in the midst of baking new ones. “Won't be long, just another 15 minutes or so,” the clerk chirped.</p>
<p>Sigyn furrowed her brow. She was hungry, so close to her pretzels. But it was a long wait. She glanced at the other lines, debating starting over at a new spot at the food court. Long lines all around. Her best bet, it seemed, would be to wait it out for fresh pretzel. She sent Loki a quick message, then kept waiting.</p>
<p>Half an hour later, Sigyn emerged from the rest stop's long corridors, hot, fresh soft pretzel and little cup of cheese sauce in hand. The wait caused a slight delay in their plans, but she paid it little mind. She headed into the parking lot, hoping to find Loki. He'd responded to her message saying he'd be waiting, but didn't specify where.</p>
<p>She found him back by the Jaguar, leaning against the trunk, sunglasses on, sipping on a milkshake.</p>
<p>“Sorry for the wait,” Sigyn said. “Long line, new batch of pretzels.”</p>
<p>“Not to worry, darling,” Loki replied between sips. He watched the throngs of people moving to and fro. “Enjoy your pretzel for a bit, yes?”</p>
<p>Sigyn tore off a piece of pretzel, wincing from the heat. Dipped into the cheese sauce, the fluffy pretzel proved well worth the long wait.</p>
<p>“Not eager to get back in the car?” Sigyn asked between bites.</p>
<p>“I am quite enjoying the scenery,” Loki replied.</p>
<p>“Starting to like road trips? You seem less harried than yesterday.”</p>
<p>“I may be starting to see the appeal.” Loki put his arm over the small of her back. “Your company certainly helps.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Several more hours of driving later, they reached the bridge leading to Hlesey. The traffic came to a halt, as the cars crowded around, forming a bottleneck near the base of the narrow bridge. They were very nearly in Hlesey, yet still so far from the beach house. Sigyn shifted about her seat, growing impatient for the trip to end. The cars poked along, taking turns, merging into the two-lanes that lead to the bridge.</p>
<p>As they drove down the long stretch of road, the stores, swimsuit clad beachgoers, and wonderfully tacky souvenir shops grew fewer and further between. More and more cars bore the trademark HLSY bumper sticker, readily available at every single shop along the road. Sigyn recognized many of the places from her vacation guides, eager to see them in person.</p>
<p>Before long, the fabricated kitsch of tourism gave way to smaller towns, piers, long trails, sprawls of shore where only a few souls lingered, where more wild birds were seen on the horizon. Beach houses were further between as nature took over. The bustle of the upper part of Hlesey gradually slowed to the quiet serenity of pristine sand and sea.</p>
<p>At long last, nearly 24 hours from when they'd set out, they reached the sprawling driveway to the house. Sigyn caught her breath. She'd seen photos of the place, but they did little justice to the sprawling home right before her.</p>
<p>The beach house, The Pelican Brief, boasted 7 bedrooms, 3 full baths, dining rooms on two of the three levels, two wrap-around decks, a screened-in porch, a rec room and home theater in the basement, a private pool, a hot tub, a small poolside bar, a fish cleaning area, and an outdoor shower under the car port. Far from the more heavily populated areas, it also provided impressive views of the ocean and private beach access. It was the type of location sought out by those who wished to be away from the popular tourist-heavy areas and wanted to be closer to the tranquility of the ocean and pristine beaches, though not terribly far from the small towns in between. In the decades since the last time the family vacationed there, Frigga kept it and made a sizable fortune each summer renting it out to travelers, couples looking for a getaway, larger families, even a number of weddings given the size of the place. She'd hired a caretaker, Aegir, to look after it and manage bookings. Years later, it was obvious the home had been well-looked after.</p>
<p>Loki pulled the Jaguar into the carport, switching the engine off. “Welcome to Hlesey.” He grinned, popping the trunk open. “Make yourself at home.”</p>
<p>Sigyn stepped out of the Jaguar. The sharp scent of sea-salt air filled her nose, bits of sand already dotting her feet despite only taking a few steps.</p>
<p>They unloaded their bags. Loki lead her up the sprawling stairs to the front entrance. He unlocked the door, showing her inside.</p>
<p>“Oh!” Sigyn breathed, taking a look around. Open, airy, spacious, yet inviting and comfortable, the beach house felt like a sanctuary despite its initially intimidating size. Well-furnished with plush sofas and recliners, wide, deep oak tables, a large fully-equipped kitchen with granite counter tops, fans swirling above the high ceilings, and ocean-themed art and nautical décor that managed to capture the essence of the Hlesey, without feeling overly garish.</p>
<p>The wide, tall windows, designed to let in plenty of natural light, offered views of the ocean and sand dunes no matter where one looked. It was almost impossible not to find a serene picture of their surroundings. Standing in the first floor living room, which lead seamlessly into the kitchen and dining room, Sigyn almost had the impression that she was still outside, on the beach, yet with all the comforts of being inside. “This is beautiful!”</p>
<p>“It's seen some changes since I was here last,” Loki remarked, his face unreadable. “New paint, new dining set, upgraded TV...and I've not seen that sailboat painting before. Or any of these sailboat things.”</p>
<p>Sigyn looked around, finding sailboat decorations everywhere: paintings on the walls, figurines on the shelves, even on the throw pillows, rugs, and place mats. “They're cute,” she remarked.</p>
<p>“Oh, but of course <em>that</em> monstrosity remains.” Loki's eyes fixed on a giant swordfish statue mounted over the second floor balcony above the foyer. Its glinting eyes and sharp, pointed beak gave it a devilish glare. The parted mouth and little pointed teeth only added to the malevolence. “My childhood nemesis.”</p>
<p>“It didn't look so alarming in the pictures,” Sigyn replied, gazing up at it. “Was it frightening when you were young?”</p>
<p>“I refused to go into the ocean for years,” Loki went on. “Knowing such a creature lurked in the depths. I could hardly let the water touch my foot without imaging either that thing or one of its brethren impaling me with that ghastly point. Thor would keep trying to drag me in.”</p>
<p>Sigyn put her arm on Loki's back. “You poor thing.”</p>
<p>“No matter.” Loki gave a quick shake of his head. “Come, it is time for your grand tour.”</p>
<p>Sigyn followed Loki as they explored the rest of the house. Loki pointing out little changes, perhaps sharing an anecdote from long ago, or going quiet for a moment, recalling something he wasn't ready to share. They moved up to the second floor, finding most of the bedrooms and upper den.</p>
<p>“This is where Thor and I would stay, for awhile anyway,” Loki said as they passed a smaller bedroom near the end of the hall.</p>
<p>“Why are there two bunk beds?”</p>
<p>“Frigga added the second one after I realized Thor would never, ever let me have the top bunk.” Loki shrugged. “We kept fighting over it until Odin demanded it stop and another bed be added that day.”</p>
<p>“Well, at least you had your own bunk. The nicer one, I imagine.”</p>
<p>“Actually, Thor demanded the new bunk bed, throwing all his things on it the moment it was up,” Loki replied. “While I was stuck with the older, smaller one.”</p>
<p>“Was that when you stopped sharing a room?” Sigyn asked. “You needed your own so Thor would stop pushing you aside?”</p>
<p>“It was inevitable.” Loki closed the door to the bunk beds. “We were growing up, growing apart. He'd started inviting his friends down with us, and...”</p>
<p>Sigyn waited for Loki to finished, but the last few words never came. Instead, he resumed the tour, brushing aside any lingering memories.</p>
<p>They came upon a short set of steps that lead to a smaller upper loft overlooking the deck. It held a big, plush love seat, a small coffee table, and a short bookshelf. A smattering of books, varying genres, fiction and nonfiction, adorned the simple shelf.</p>
<p>“I liked going up here,” Loki remarked with a soft smile. “A quieter corner. Good spot to read or escape from Thor.”</p>
<p>Sigyn pictured a young Loki- a somewhat challenging image, as Loki hadn't shown her pictures of his younger self- hiding away from the world in the upper loft, absorbed in his books, tucked in his own nook overlooking the sea.</p>
<p>“Which bedroom is ours?” Sigyn asked as Loki turned away from the loft. Down the hall where a few more bedrooms, all large, roomy, with unique but equally elegant furnishings. Any which one would have been very comfortable.</p>
<p>“Any one we like,” Loki replied. They resumed their tour of the upper floor, passing a few more bedrooms, the screened-in porch with its picnic table and cushy seats. “But I think this one will suit us nicely.” He opened the door to the last room, revealing a sprawling bedroom with a large bed, a writing desk, two dressers, and a glass door leading directly to the deck. Out on the deck, Sigyn spotted two Adirondack chairs, and a little round table in between. Best of all was the near-panoramic view, overlooking the beach and ocean stretching into the horizon. Perhaps the best view in the entire house.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Sigyn replied, looking over the bedroom. “This will work. This will work well.”</p>
<p>They explored the basement level when they returned to the car port for the last of their luggage, finding the rec room, the home theater, laundry room, and one last bedroom, far below the others. Painted dark, with very little natural light, the newly-added seashell and sailboat décor clashed with the dour backdrop.</p>
<p>“Hela's,” said Loki, as though that explained everything. “She insisted on staying down here, away from all of us. Sometimes I think she had the right idea.”</p>
<p>Further down, near the back of the house, they found the outside shower beside the car port, the hot tub, the bar, and the pool, hidden from view behind the fence, ensuring complete privacy.</p>
<p>After exploring the house, they dragged the rest of their bags from the car to the living room. Sigyn identified which bags should go to which rooms, and transported them throughout the house.</p>
<p>“What on earth are you studying?” Loki asked as he carried Sigyn's messenger bag up the stairs, huffing from the burden of the heavy load. “Have you brought the entirety of your curriculum with you?”</p>
<p>“Just my laptop and some books I checked out,” Sigyn said, relieving Loki of the bag. “Not much.” She opened the bag, pulling out library copies of <em>American Gods, Rebecca, </em>and <em>The Goldfinch.</em></p>
<p>“Well that explains it,” said Loki. “As for all these bottles of sunscreen...”</p>
<p>“It's important!” Sigyn grabbed a few bottles, placing them in a bathroom. “We can keep a bottle in the car, one in my purse, in each room, in case we forget.”</p>
<p>“You are aware we can buy more here, yes?”</p>
<p>“But it's overpriced in areas like this. Besides, you said you burn easily.”</p>
<p>Loki chuckled. “I am not made out of kindling, darling.”</p>
<p>“Just looking out for you.”</p>
<p>“I appreciate it, love. Truly.” Loki paused his unpacking to circle his arms around her waist. “Would you like to go for a walk? It is nearly sunset.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After returning from a long walk along the beach, Loki opened the fence leading to the pool. He found a nearby switch, turning it on to illuminate the perimeter of the pool and its underwater lights.</p>
<p>“Rather warm, is it not?” Loki turned to her with a sly smile. He slipped off his shirt and linen trousers, walking to the water's edge. “Perhaps we ought to cool off.”</p>
<p>With a splash, he vanished under the pool's surface. Sigyn came closer, peering into the pool. Loki's lean, long figure shimmered under the water. He swam with grace, limbs moving in perfect sync, like a powerful ballet. Entrancing, compelling her to join him.</p>
<p>Sigyn inched her way to the pool's edge, dipping first her feet, then her legs, into the cool water. She sat by the pool, submerged up to her knees, lightly kicking her feet. Her tired legs welcomed the embrace of water ebbing and flowing all around.</p>
<p>Loki resurfaced right in front of her, resting his arms on the pool's edge. His soaking wet hair clung to his cheeks and neck. Water dripped from his skin, adding a sheen to contours of his muscles, and a playful twinkle sparkled in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Care for a dip?” He asked, resting his chin on his forearms.</p>
<p>“I am dipped,” said Sigyn, poking at him with her toe.</p>
<p>“Not fully.” Loki rose up to meet her, a hand behind her head as he kissed her. “Not yet.”</p>
<p>His arm snaked around her waist, his wet body pressed to her dry one, water droplets absorbing into her shirt. She pulled the garment off, tossing it to the dry concrete, then slid her arms over his slick collarbone, allowing Loki to take hold.</p>
<p>The next thing she knew, her body slid off the pool's edge and into the water. Loki held her by the waist, drifting back and pulling her into the deeper end. The scent of chlorine covered them, flowing into the warm air above. Ripples and waves reflected from the pool into the lights, casting everything in a soft, sinuous glow.</p>
<p>Sigyn drifted along, carried by Loki to the pool's center. Loki propelled them forward, leaning back, while Sigyn added momentum, kicking her legs between his. Loki's lips found hers, deepening their connection with every kiss.</p>
<p>“What shall I do with you, now that we're alone?” Loki whispered. “So many possibilities...”</p>
<p>“You'll have to catch me first,” Sigyn replied mischievously. She twisted free, taking a deep breath and ducking below the surface, darting past Loki and swimming to opposite side of the pool. She dashed along the perimeter, popping up for air then back below. Loki was no longer at the center, so she swam back over, certain he wasn't far behind. She swam up and down, back and forth. No sign of Loki. His figure seemingly gone from the pool. She popped back to the surface, looking around, still not finding him.</p>
<p>Out of nowhere arms seized her waist from behind. Sigyn yelped as Loki's sly chuckle sounded in her ear, his hot breath on the back of her neck.</p>
<p>“It seems you've been caught, love,” Loki whispered. “Now what will you do?”</p>
<p>“Where did you vanish to?” Sigyn giggled. “I swear you were gone!”</p>
<p>“Never left,” Loki replied, lips trailing along her neck. “I stayed exactly here, just out of view in the shadows, and let you come to be. As I knew you would.” His hand slipped below her waist, stroking her thighs.</p>
<p>“You look quite enticing. As always.”</p>
<p>Sigyn tilted her head back, closing her eyes while Loki's hand trailed up her thigh. She tread the water, though Loki's deft hands made it hard to think of anything else. She moaned softly, widening her parted legs to allow him access.</p>
<p>A sharp, intense pinching seized her calf.</p>
<p>“Ow!” Sigyn cried. She pulled away, grabbing her leg. The muscle in her calf forcefully contracted again, reverberating down to her foot.</p>
<p>“Darling?” Loki grasped her shoulder, holding her steady. “What's wrong?”</p>
<p>“My leg.” Sigyn winced in pain. “Cramp.”</p>
<p>“Alright, let's get you out of the water.” Loki swam, bringing her to the pool's edge.</p>
<p>With Loki's help, Sigyn climbed out of the pool, dripping and shivering from the sudden chill. Glancing around for something to try off with, she wished she'd thought to bring down a towel. She rubbed the pinched spot, hoping it would subside.</p>
<p>Loki emerged from the pool, walking past the bar and towards the outdoor shower. He returned with two long, dry towels. “Fresh from the laundry room.” He tossed one over to Sigyn, drying off with the other.</p>
<p>Sigyn wrapped the towel around her body. The cramp eased up slightly, muscle slowly relaxing.</p>
<p>“Any better?” Loki asked as he sat beside her.</p>
<p>“It's easing up.” Sigyn tentatively stretched her leg, extending her foot. Her calf throbbed, yet the worst pain had passed. “Sorry to spoil the mood.”</p>
<p>“We've plenty of time to make up for it,” said Loki. “There will be another mood soon enough.”</p>
<p>Sigyn leaned her head on Loki's shoulder. His hand rested by her hip, present but not insistent. As her leg settled, she stopped rubbing and reached over for his free hand. It amazed her, how Loki could prove so mysterious and yet so familiar. How even simple, routine tasks felt so much more vibrant when he was with her. Excited as she'd been for coming to Hlesey, the chance to finally spend an entire week alone with Loki was the true draw of the vacation. The true reason she didn't want it to end, even though they'd just begun.</p>
<p>“I'm so glad to be here,” she said softly. “With you.”</p>
<p>Loki brushed his lips against the top of her head. “I am glad to have you.”</p>
<p>Her body relaxed into his, as the sound of ocean waves just over the fence lulled her.</p>
<p>She jolted at the sound of Loki swatting something.</p>
<p>“Mosquitoes,” Loki said, smacking at his arm. “I'm being eaten alive.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Sharp itches pricked at Sigyn's exposed legs. She swatted them away, but the red marks already arose on her skin. “I am, too.”</p>
<p>Loki stood, swatting at more mosquitoes. “Inside?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. First Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sigyn and Loki's first day of vacation doesn't go quite as planned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Morning in Hlesey brought with it cool breezes that ruffled the curtains and coaxed Sigyn awake from the opened windows. Outside the ocean waves rushed and crashed along the beach and seagulls cried in the sky. Free from classes, work, and chores, Sigyn found herself torn between lingering in the massive bed, enjoying the easy peace, and getting an early start to the first full day at Hlesey and her lengthy to-do list. Far from her usual routines, Sigyn mulled over how best to spend her time, what the next week ought to look like.</p>
<p>Loki's eyes fluttered open as soon as Sigyn moved. He lazily shifted over, caressing her head. He nuzzled her nose, his voice a rich purr of drowsiness and affection. “Hey you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn kissed him good morning. “The ocean air agrees with you,” she noted, observing how his features softened in the morning light. A rare image, Loki at peace.</p>
<p>“I'd forgotten what it's like down here,” Loki murmured, eyes closing again. His dark lashes brushed against his pale skin. “On its own, without...all the fuss...perhaps I would have recalled it more fondly. Perhaps I would returned sooner.”</p>
<p>“Without the family stuff?”</p>
<p>“The memories...mostly of bickering and strained shows of domestic bliss. You miss things, first caught up in the histrionics, then desperate to escape it all. When you leave everything behind, sometimes even the good things are lost in the aftermath.”</p>
<p>Sigyn traced the loose waves of his dark hair. “Maybe that's what you're searching for. Some of the good things you left behind. To enjoy what you missed while you had to protect yourself all those years.”</p>
<p>“Mmm.” A wistful look crossed Loki's face. A small, hopeful smile graced his lips. “Perhaps you're right.”</p>
<p>Sigyn sat up, eager to get started. “Shall we find out?”</p>
<p>Loki turned to look past the glass door. “Why don't we start by taking in the sunrise?”</p>
<p>Sigyn opened the door leading to the upper deck, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep, contented breath. A slight chill sent a brief shiver down her spine, but the rising sun would soon dash any lingering cold away. Her bare feet stepped onto deck's wooden planks, the parts covered in shadow still cool. Beyond the railing, the beach and ocean waves rushed to the shore and back, rays of light rippling along the surface. Overhead, a few pelicans flew by, while seagulls lingered on the shore, squawking at one another. Further down, several large, four-legged figures meandered up and down the grassy hill.</p>
<p>“Loki, look!” Sigyn reached back for Loki. “Wild horses!”</p>
<p>The herd was a good distance away, yet Sigyn felt compelled to keep her voice low. Loki crept up behind her, not bothering to cover his bare chest. His hair fell about in dark messy waves, untamed as Loki ran a hand through it.</p>
<p>“Ah, yes.” Loki wrapped his arms around her waist, swaying her slightly as he looked over her shoulder at the herd. “Our yearly visitors.”</p>
<p>“Do they come here often? This close to the beach houses, I mean?” Hlesey was know for its wild horse population, thought to be descended from horses escaped from shipwrecks centuries ago. Sigyn had hoped to see one or two, but she'd never expected to find a herd right in the front yard.</p>
<p>“I remember some summers we'd see them almost daily,” said Loki. “Though they tend to stay scarce during busier weeks.”</p>
<p>The horses wandered closer, enough so that Sigyn could see their colors and markings. “Would they approach us?”</p>
<p>“They do not fear humans, not after being around them over so many centuries, but they are hardly domestic. We'd be wise to keep our distance.”</p>
<p>“Should we stay here until they leave? Are the dangerous?”</p>
<p>“They'll keep to themselves, unless harangued,” said Loki. “They'll be off to the dunes soon enough.”</p>
<p>The horses trotted along past the house, disappearing from view as they wandered into the brush where sand turned to green shrubs.</p>
<p>“What shall we do today?” Sigyn asked as the horses departed.</p>
<p>“I thought you had that all planned, darling.”</p>
<p>“Well, we can be flexible,” Sigyn said. She settled into the deck chair in front of the bedroom window. “We have the dolphin watch at three, and I have a few ideas...”</p>
<p>“I look forward to what you've planned,” Loki said, kissing her forehead. “But I shall begin with my run.”</p>
<p>Sigyn tilted her head. “Really? Even on vacation?”</p>
<p>“Especially on vacation,” said Loki. “A change of scenery, fresher air than in the city, it invigorates the process.” He stood. “We're close enough to the nearest village square. Their coffee shop will open by the time I finish. I will return with one of their specialties, my darling.”</p>
<p>Moments later, Loki departed from the beach house, earbuds firmly in place as he took off down the beach.</p>
<p>She watched Loki run along the sand, gliding over the terrain with gazelle-like smooth movements. His figure faded into the distance, and she returned inside, grabbing her copy of <em>American Gods</em>, and settling back into the seat while the sun warmed her. The wood under her feet grew hotter, not unpleasantly so, a pad of heat under her heels. Ever once in a while, she'd pause her reading to take in the serenity of the morning, admire the cool blue stretched out before her, check for more pelicans or a sandpiper bobbing in the wet sand. Her mind meandered to the city, pondering what was happening at work, at her apartment, while she was out. There'd be extra hours to take one when she got back, classes to finish, and her decision...</p>
<p>“Ah! What a fair maiden!” Loki called from the ground, a playful tone in his voice. His brow glistened with sweat, his chest heaving slightly from his run. In his hands he held two plastic coffee cups and a brown bag. “I come bearing sustenance if you'll bid me welcome into your magnificent fortress, my lady.”</p>
<p>Sigyn closed her book and edged closer to the railing, peering down at Loki from between the pillars. “What kind of sustenance have you brought, my lord?”</p>
<p>“Perhaps these fine iced coffees may be of interest if you find yourself parched?” Loki played along. “Or might you prefer one of these circular breads I have procured?”</p>
<p>“Circular breads?” Sigyn giggled.</p>
<p>“Bagels, I have heard them called,” Loki replied with a shake of the brown bag. “Only the finest in this land.”</p>
<p>“Your gifts will suffice, my lord,” Sigyn called back with a laugh. “I bid you welcome.”</p>
<p>Loki bowed his head. “I accept your most gracious offer.”</p>
<p>Seconds later, Loki joined her on the deck.</p>
<p>Sigyn raised an eyebrow at the sight. Loki managed to carry not one, but both, coffee cups and the bag of bagels in one hand while opening the front door with the other, not spilling a drop nor losing his balance along the way.</p>
<p>“For my lady,” he said, setting one of the coffees beside her. “As she looks over her kingdom.”</p>
<p>“Are the seagulls my subjects?” Sigyn asked, taking a sip. “They seem thoroughly unimpressed with their queen.”</p>
<p>As promised, the iced coffee proved more than fine. Instead of water, the ice cubes were made of coffee. As they melted, the coffee taste only grew stronger, never diluting. Loki took the seat next to hers, catching his breath. For while they remained that way, saying little, simply watching the waves while the breeze ruffled their hair.</p>
<p>“Don't you wish it could always be like this?” Sigyn sighed happily, stretching her legs. “Just the two of us together, the sea, the quiet. I've spent the past year rushing from class to work and back and planning for the next day, week, month, years ahead...and the next thing I know a year passes just like that. I forget to stop.”</p>
<p>“Mmm.” Loki, who'd had his eyes closed, opened them now and turned to her. “Of course, we may not have the sea, but it could be like this. Just the two of us. Together. Every day.” He tilted his head, eyebrow pointedly quirked.</p>
<p>Sigyn met Loki's eyes. His face vulnerable, eyes wide with puppy-like hopefulness. So unlike how he presented himself to anyone else besides her. So much more sensitive, more emotional, in so much more pain than anyone knew. Her heart ached to think of what inner pains he'd yet to express that wounded him.</p>
<p>Not for the first time, Sigyn suspected there was more to Loki's desire to have her move in than simply a wish to share his space. He looked at her as though she were the balm to a deep, constant ache.</p>
<p>He saw in her the cure to his ills.</p>
<p><em>But what if I can't make him better? </em>Sign thought. <em>What if I'm not enough?</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>They spent the later part of the morning exploring the beach, the little village closest to the beach house where Loki had procured the coffee and bagels, and Sigyn looked around the gift shops, these ones much smaller with more unique, handmade items on display than the nearly identical box stores on northern Hlesey. Sigyn did not purchase anything, yet, but made notes on things she liked and where she'd spotted them, while Loki looked on, his face a mix of amusement and adoration. They stopped for supplies at the tiny grocery store before heading back to the house, whiling away a few more hours by the pool.</p>
<p>At the appointed hour, Loki and Sigyn arrived at the seaside dock for the dolphin watch. They checked at the booth set up in front of a yellow and blue building right in front the docks, where several boats waited for boarding. They took seat on one of the benches set up over the water.</p>
<p>As Sigyn walked onto the dock, her mood soured. No clear explanation. She'd been looking forward to this all summer, yet sitting on the dock, waiting for the boat, a shadow of discomfort and misery crept into her gut. Her excitement vanished, instead hoping the next few hours would pass quickly.</p>
<p>“Darling?”</p>
<p>Sigyn looked up at Loki, forcing a smile.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“Just a little tired, is all,” Sigyn replied. “I'll perk up once we see the dolphins.”</p>
<p>Her spirits did not improve at all once she set foot on the boat. The catamaran rocked along with the waves, every little bump and jostle reverberating from Sigyn's feet to her gut. Gooseflesh rippled onto her skin, though she was not cold. The other guests filled the boat as Sigyn and Loki took seats near the back. The close quarters did little to ease Sigyn's quiet discomfort.</p>
<p>“Good afternoon, folks!” the captain announced boisterously into a microphone once everyone boarded. His voice came though the back speakers with a static tone, making it difficult for Sigyn to hear. “Welcome to our dolphin tour, we'll get started in just a bit, first a few ground rules...” Sigyn tuned out his words as the boat's engine revved, the vibrations only adding to the rocky, unsteady feeling that distressed her.</p>
<p>The boat departed the docks, picking up speed as it sailed further away from the shore, near the area where the dolphins migrated during the summer. Strong winds sent powerful currents and short, rough waves into the sea. The catamaran jostiled to and fro as it amid the chaotic depths.</p>
<p>“Sorry folks,” said the captain. “Waves are awfully choppy today. Remember, we've got sick bags under your seats if you need 'em, hopefully you don't.”</p>
<p>It wasn't until now, miles away from shore, being tossed about by the waves that Sigyn realized the true source of her distress. Her stomach roiled at every turn. An involuntary whimper escaped her mouth as her gut rebelled, tolerating the rocking waves no longer.</p>
<p>“Sigyn?” Loki put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you-”</p>
<p>She grabbed her sick bag, and retched.</p>
<p>“Oh dear.”</p>
<p>Having not yet reached the dolphins, Sigyn's retching caught the attention of a few other guests. Mortified, she cast her eyes downward, though her stomach was not through with her yet.</p>
<p>“Darling?” Loki removed his button-down shirt, leaving his undershirt on, handing it over so Sigyn could wipe her face. “What do you need?”</p>
<p>Sigyn reluctantly wiped her face with Loki's shirt. Her stomach turned once more, leaving her at its mercy. “I think...another sick bag.”</p>
<p>Loki quickly produced the bag under his seat, just in the nick of time. Humiliated, Sigyn set the bag down when she finished, though it brought her little relief as the boat sped along. They'd reached the part of the sea where the dolphins roamed, and most of the guests turned their attention to the waters, cameras ready, eager for a glimpse.</p>
<p>“Head back,” Loki said, tilting back Sigyn's head. “Eyes closed. You'll be alright.”</p>
<p>“Alright folks, we're near the dolphin waters. On your left you'll spot one of our most famous pods...” the captain announced as the boat's engine sputtered to a halt. The catamaran drifted quietly over the waves, leaving Sigyn acutely aware of every bump and jostle under her feet. Her stomach responded in kind.</p>
<p>“Mmph...” Sigyn whimpered, scrambling for a sick bag. Loki snatched another bag from beneath an unattended seat. Tears spilled from her eyes, both from the nausea and sheer misery of being stuck on a boat, over unruly waters, with no way back for at least another hour. All around her, people gushed and cooed over dolphin sightings- a flash of fin here, a tail flap there, a flurry of cameras.</p>
<p>Loki stealthily purloined several more sick bags from the unoccupied seats, bringing them back over while Sigyn wiped down her face once more with his shirt.</p>
<p>“Loki I don't need that many sick bags,” Sigyn protested, though her gut quickly proved her wrong.</p>
<p>As the boat sailed on, she <em>did</em> need that many sick bags.</p>
<p>“Easy, love,” Loki pulled her hair back from her face. “It will be over soon.”</p>
<p>A gasp rose from the others looking over the sea. A loud splash from the ocean met with oohs and aahs and applause.</p>
<p>“Wow!”</p>
<p>“Oh my god!”</p>
<p>“Incredible!”</p>
<p>“I've gone on so many of these tours and I have <em>never </em>seen anything like that before!”</p>
<p>Sigyn, hunched over a fresh sick bag, eyes squeezed shut and clutching a new sick bag, saw none of it.</p>
<p>At long last, the boat reached the shore, bringing the interminable two hours to an end. Loki put his arms over her shoulders, keeping her steady as they stepped off the boat. With her feet back on solid ground, Sigyn's stomach settled, though still quite queasy.</p>
<p>“Can we sit for awhile?” Sigyng asked, her knees quaking.</p>
<p>Loki guided her to one of the picnic tables just off the docks. They sat in silence, watching the next round of dolphin watchers gather around the boat. Loki stroked her back, while Sigyn held her head in her hands, waiting for the waves of nausea to pass. Her misery on the boat gave way to guilt, that she'd spoiled one of the events they'd been looking forward to for months.</p>
<p>“Would you like some ginger ale? Water?” Loki offered. “I can check that convenience store.”</p>
<p>“I'll come, too. Walking around helps a little.”</p>
<p>She followed Loki into the store, stomach gradually settling. A little burst of cold air hit her face. They found a bottle of water, a pack of saltines, and candied ginger. Returning to the picnic table so Sigyn could recover a little longer, Loki held her hand while she sipped her water. While she appreciated his comfort, his patience, her guilt magnified.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry,” Sigyn said quietly.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“I spoiled the tour.”</p>
<p>“You did no such thing, darling. I was just a little worried for you.”</p>
<p>“I didn't even see anything.”</p>
<p>“You didn't miss much. Mostly just a lot of splashing and a few flippers.”</p>
<p>“What was the fuss? When everyone started clapping?”</p>
<p>“A dolphin breached the surface. Leaping up with a perfect arc.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Sigyn frowned. “And I completely missed it.”</p>
<p>“I may have been a bit preoccupied to see much. But I got one picture.” He held up his phone, showing little more than rippling waves and a slick gray blur.</p>
<p>“I was so excited for this...” Sigyn poked at Loki's messed shirt, crumpled in a ball on the picnic table.</p>
<p>“It wasn't a total loss,” said Loki. “At least now we know you're still getting your sea legs. Next time you'll handle it better.”</p>
<p>Sigyn finished her water and nibbled on some of the ginger, stomach settling enough that she felt ready to walk back to the car. The nausea welled up again as they drove, though less intense than on the boat. Sigyn clutched her stomach, hoping they'd get home soon. She leaned her head against the passenger side window, taking deep breaths, until the Jaguar finally pulled into the beach house car port.</p>
<p>They'd had plans to go out for dinner, one of the best restaurants in Hlesey, one that boasted outdoor seating with a perfect view of the ocean. But with Sigyn's stomach out of sorts, it would need to wait another day. Instead, Sigyn stretched out on the couch in the upper living room, allowing the ceiling fans to cool her. In the kitchen, Loki prepared the lemon and chamomile tea they'd purchased from the grocery store that morning.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, Loki,” Sigyn sighed as Loki placed two cups of steaming tea on the coffee table. “I know this wasn't how you envisioned our first day of vacation, getting stuck taking care of me.”</p>
<p>“It's alright, sweetheart. Take it easy,” Loki soothed. “We have an entire week to enjoy once you're well again.”</p>
<p>“I ruined your shirt.”</p>
<p>“There's a washer and dryer downstairs. I'll put them to use.”</p>
<p>Sigyn gave a rueful laugh. “I can't believe it.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“All that planning and packing...and the one thing I forgot. Dramamine. Seasickness. I never thought of it even once.”</p>
<p>“You can't plan for everything, darling.”</p>
<p>“But you're not upset with me? For messing up today?”</p>
<p>“Hardly.” Loki smoothed her hair from her forehead. “I'm sorry you're unwell, but I do enjoy caring for you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn reached up to caress his cheek. He could have been so annoyed, disgusted, or just ignored her in favor of the dolphins. If he'd felt any of those things, he never showed it. He'd been patient, attentive, even quick of offer his shirt to help her.</p>
<p>Perhaps Loki was right. Today was not a total loss after all.</p>
<p>For the ill-fated dolphin did show her just how deeply Loki cared for her.</p>
<p>Outside, twilight descended, cooling the air, allowing for a warm, inviting evening. The kind that beckoned one to step outside, take a long walk, have a drink with friends, see all the sights while the idyllic warmth lasted. The kind of midsummer evening people spent all winter dreaming of. If only Sigyn felt up to going out. Alas her stomach compelled her to stay in.</p>
<p>“As much as I hate the idea of staying in on such a lovely summer night,” Sigyn began. “Would you want to watch a movie tonight?”</p>
<p>“As you wish.” Loki found the remote for the flat screen on one of the speakers and switched it on. “Your choice, my queasy darling.”</p>
<p>“Oh! <em>That Thing You Do</em>!” Sigyn perked up while Loki flipped through their options. “I love that movie!” One of the movies guaranteed to lift her spirits. “If you don't mind, of course.”</p>
<p>“I may have a small amount of affection for it,” said Loki, selecting the movie. Sigyn sat up so that Loki could join her on the couch. She lay back down on his lap, while he stroked her hair.</p>
<p>By the time the movie finished, Sigyn had dozed off, her ills of the day long healed. She barely stirred as Loki switched off the TV and carried her to bed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Hlesey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Sigyn enjoy their vacation, weather be damned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They'd fallen into a quiet, easy routine at the beach house. Loki would rise before dawn to go for a run along the beach while Sigyn rose just a bit later to read for a bit out on the deck or catch up on some classwork. She'd relax outside until Loki returned, bearing two large iced coffees, and usually either bagels or donuts from the village bakery. He'd join her as they sipped their coffee, watching the ocean waves rocking under the morning sun. In time, they'd venture if they had something planned, or just to explore the area. Maybe they'd stick to the village near the beach house, finding obscure little spots under the radar of the vacation guides, or they'd go further north, closer to the lively tourist areas to see more well-known attractions, or further out beyond the populace, where the wildlife and untouched terrain outnumbered the people and pavement. In the evenings Sigyn would embark on one of her evening walks while Loki caught up on work, or perhaps they'd go for a swim in the pool. Wherever they went, Loki would speak of the history of the place, his memories, and remark on anything that had changed in the years since he'd been there last. Not much had changed, it seemed, yet everything was new for Sigyn.</p>
<p>For Sigyn, the unexpected discoveries proved to be her favorite part of each day. Finding new areas to explore, offbeat attractions, old little shops known only to locals, purely on a whim. Though Sigyn was typically reluctant to stray from her schedule, with Loki she found her usual hesitation easily overcome. All it took was a little twinkle in Loki's eye, a slight raise of his eyebrow, to persuade her. The tiny microbrewery they'd found after their aquarium visit, serving the best amaretto sours and hush puppies Sigyn had ever tasted. A walk through the maritime forest after touring one of the many lighthouses, finding even more wildlife than Sigyn ever expected. The ride on the Ferris wheel on the pier, which proved far more squeaky and wobbly than Sigyn's liking, but the view of the ocean at its zenith was incredibe. The impromptu round of mini golf, where Loki told her of young Thor whacking his red golf ball as far and wide as possible, ending up nearly soaked from the knees down from fishing it out of the little stream constantly. How he enjoyed the game as his score went higher and higher with all his strokes, until Hogun explained how the mini golf worked, and that he was actually in last place. Upon finding out his score was well over 200, he'd lost interest and complained, then demanded, that they do something else. Loki, with his careful angling and calculated swings, would have won had they finished.</p>
<p>For Loki, he enjoyed most accompanying Sigyn on her planned excursions. It wasn't just her taste in activities, it was the careful consideration she'd given- what she would enjoy, what <em>he</em> would enjoy, proving that she kept him in mind in all her notes and research. She included him, not grudgingly, not out of obligation, but enthusiastically, because she wanted him with her. The glass art gallery because she knew he enjoyed the art galleries at home. The bookstore that specialized in local and regional works because she loved local history and Loki's tastes were far more eclectic than most people realized. Nighttime kayaking along the sound (after Sigyn made sure to take her Dramamine of course) seeing the bio-luminescent creatures flashing under the water. After he'd told her about his childhood fear of the marlin statue, she offered to nix the aquarium visit, though Loki hardly feared sea creatures now, it endeared her further to him. He enjoyed the deep blue, surrounded by all manner of marine life, something he would have dismissed left to his own devices. She'd once returned from one of her evening walks carrying two pints of frozen custard from the village square- strawberry for her, and Loki's preferred mint chocolate chip.</p>
<p>The memories came in waves, Loki mused as he set out for one of his mornings runs during the latter half of the week. Ebbing and flowing like the saltwater on the shore. High tides and low tides, but without the predictable rhythm. Some good, some bad, all tinged with pain, anger, and even the pleasant ones carried an undertow of guilt. Even now, as he neared the sand dune area of the beach, his mind flashed back:</p>
<p>An image, the full memory not ready to surface, of himself as a young boy, panting heavily as he started ahead at four figures running along, vanishing into the distance as the left him behind. His chest heavy, under the duress of childhood asthma. The humiliating wheezes escaping his mouth despite his efforts to hid them. Tears of rejection stinging his eyes.</p>
<p>“<em>One day their opinions will no longer matter. You will find people of your own. Where you belong. One day.”</em></p>
<p>His throat tightened. His chest heaved, not just from physical exertion this time. Trapped in the memory, his entire being seemed propelled back in time, back into that moment: the heartbreak, the helpless anger, directed first at his alleged companions and then at himself for his failure to keep up. The unexpected kind words. And the guilt the memory brought.</p>
<p>Loki snarled, wishing to be free of the torment. He shook his head, launching into a full spring up the dunes, and beyond, in a futile attempt at escape.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Later that evening, Loki and Sigyn headed out along the beach towards the docks on the outskirts of the village square. A few strong breezes cooled the warm air, and clouds overtook the setting sun. Sigyn took Loki's hand as they walked, practically skipping along, an eager smile on her face. Her hibiscus flower-print dress billowed above her knees, ruffled by the wind. Tonight, their second-to-last night in Hlesey, they were headed to an outdoor festival, Day of the Docks, with live music, food trucks, and art right along the beach. Sigyn wanted to come by for just a bit, their version of the arts festival back home, though Loki could tell she'd likely want to stay longer. The docks were barely over a mile away, and so they'd opted to walk instead of taking the car.</p>
<p>Lively music and the smoky smell of barbecue in the air told them the festival was not far away. The docks bustled with eager fishers casting their poles along the pier, makeshift pavilions offering picnic tables and seating, along with a stage for the folksy bands. Food trucks and booths from local businesses arrayed the area leading to the dock. The guests paid little mind to the ever-darkening sky.</p>
<p>They separated briefly to get food, agreeing to find each other under the pavilion. Loki wandered about, finding a truck with a relatively small line. He settled on an Ahi tuna poke bowl and a Painkiller from the cocktail bar before returning to the pavilion in search of Sigyn.</p>
<p>He found her in the far corner beside the stage, where the band had mercifully taken a break. Sigyn nibbled on her lobster roll, with a Bay Breeze served inside a tall plastic cup, pineapple slices poking up from the rim. She cheerfully waved him over to the free seat she'd saved, offering a sample of her roll.</p>
<p>“Busiest I've ever seen the beach since we arrived,” Sigyn remarked as Loki joined her. “I'd wondered who was inhabiting all these houses.”</p>
<p>“It's mainly for the locals, although it's become a big draw,” Loki explained between bites of poke.</p>
<p>“Had you gone to this before? When you were younger?”</p>
<p>“Once, perhaps,” Loki mused. “Though it was much smaller back then.” Little more than a block party along the docks, something one might pass right without noticing, it impressed Loki to see the life it had taken on.</p>
<p>They stayed at the festival longer than they'd planned. Sigyn wandering along the booths, avoiding the ones shilling timeshares and insurance companies, while Loki watched the festival from the end of the pier. The music started up again, carried far by the ever-present strong breezes and darkening clouds. A smile played at the corners of Loki's lips. When his mind permitted him to stay in the present, he enjoyed himself.</p>
<p>“I'm back!” Sigyn called, approaching Loki's corner, carrying a plastic bag in her hands. “Would have gotten back sooner but I stood too close to the Chic Cannery Kitchen booth, and the sales rep tried to get me to sign up as an <em>'independent small business owner.</em>' Barely let me get a word in. Almost left with trunk full inventory and a list of five friends to sign up.”</p>
<p>“You know you don't have to listen to such sales pitches, love,” Loki replied. “You can simply leave.”</p>
<p>“But I don't want to be rude,” Sigyn protested. “I'd feel so awkward if I had to pass by the booth again.”</p>
<p>“You probably won't even see her again after tonight.” Loki squeezed her arm. “But how were the booths, otherwise?”</p>
<p>Sigyn opened her bag. “Not bad. Lots of free stuff. Pamphlets, samples, pens, lanyards. And a beer cozy.”</p>
<p>The music had switched to a quiet ballad. Loki, flush with affection and not giving a damn about the onlookers, took Sigyn by the hand and pulled her close. He lead her into an informal little dance. Sigyn glanced around, almost bashful, but soon leaned into Loki once she realized no one paid them any mind.</p>
<p>“I take it the martini kicked in?” Sigyn asked with a slight laugh.</p>
<p>“I do not require a martini to desire your closeness, love,” Loki murmured. “I suppose a certain mood as overtaken me tonight.”</p>
<p>“Oh? What kind of mood?”</p>
<p>Loki lowered his head, bringing his lips close to her ear. “Once we're back at the house, I'll be happy to show you.”</p>
<p>Sigyn blushed in earnest. “Then why are we wasting time on these docks?”</p>
<p>By the time they'd left the festival, the moon had risen over the sea. Surprised at how late the hour had gone, they began the long stroll back to the beach house. Loki draped his jacket over Sigyn's shoulders to warm her against the oncoming chill. Just enough light was left to guide their way, though the clouds grew all the more ominous.</p>
<p>Sigyn glanced up at the clouds. “This wasn't in the forecast.”</p>
<p>“It's been threatening all evening,” said Loki. The first few raindrops hit his skin. “I suppose such threats were not idle after all.”</p>
<p>A deep rumble of thunder shook the sky. Not long after, a bolt of lightning over the sea, all while the rain fell harder and faster.</p>
<p>They fled as the downpour morphed into a full fledged storm. Lightning flashed while the waves crashed against the shore. Loki took her hand as they sprinted along the beach, too far now from the shelter of the pavilion, they raced against the thunder to get back home. Sigyn laughed despite the downpour and chaos of the sky. Giving in to the rain, accepting that staying dry would prove futile, she embraced the wet, the wind, the sand clinging to her legs and feet.</p>
<p>Clearing the last few yards, they reached the house just as a flash of lightning lit up the entire sky. Taking shelter under the car port, Sigyn slowed her pace, catching her breath. Every part of her was soaked through, and her wet dress clung to her body. Loki looked her up and down with a devilish grin, his own shirt stuck to his chest, showing the outline of his muscles.</p>
<p>“Ooh,” Loki purred, “I must say the rain suits you quite well.”</p>
<p>“I think a few towels would suit me much better,” Sigyn replied, eyeing the puddles surrounding her feet. She squeezed the ends of her dripping hair while Loki offered the last few fresh towels from the linen closet.</p>
<p>The rain continued falling in sheets outside, with punctuated with claps of thunder and lightning. They dried off in the downstairs rec room. Sigyn peeled off her soaked dress, leaving it to the washer. Loki followed suit, his drenched shirt and trousers tossed aside. The rec room was one of the few rooms in the beach house they hadn't spent much time in. Sigyn looked over at the wet bar, the flat screen with a selection of gaming consoles, the pool table, table tennis, and a stack of board games near the sitting area.</p>
<p>“Did you play any of these growing up?” She asked, looking over the games.</p>
<p>“I was always fond of Risk,” Loki replied. “We'd play it often in my college dorm. But Thor found it boring.”</p>
<p>“Apples to Apples was one of my favorites,” Sigyn replied. “ And Pictionary. Though I don't think any of those work with just two people.”</p>
<p>“Ah, desiring a game for two.” Loki surveyed the room. “Is table tennis to your liking?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>Loki moved to one end of the table, picking up the ball and a paddle. “Fancy a contest of skill?”</p>
<p>Sigyn came to the opposite end of the table, taking the other paddle. “You're on.”</p>
<p>Loki served first, sending the little ball bouncing over the net. Sigyn lobbed it back, her competitive side emerging. Loki's lean, long limb, combined with his hand-eye coordination and sharp reflexes, proved formidable. He served and returned with seemingly little effort, keeping Sigyn on her toes while she raced to and fro to match his pace, all the more determined to not let him win so easily.</p>
<p>“You're quite a fierce competitor,” Loki commented once Sigyn scored a point on him. He tossed the ball in the air for a moment before serving it back over the net. “I'm impressed.”</p>
<p>“You'll be far more impressed once I win,” Sigyn countered, diving to return the ball.</p>
<p>“Ah, counting your victories already?” Loki winked. “Be careful of hubris, my love. It can cost you dearly.”</p>
<p>“So can underestimating one's competition,” Sigyn retorted. “You'd be wise to keep a sharp eye on me.” She swiftly served the next ball.</p>
<p>“Oh I do.” Loki chuckled, flawlessly returning her serve. “I'm keeping my prize well within my sights, after all.” He sent the ball back with a slight twist, sending spiraling just out of Sigyn's reach. It bounced and rolled behind the wet bar.</p>
<p>“Now that was unfair!” Sigyn protested, scrambling to collect the ball.</p>
<p>“All is fair in love and war, my sweet,” Loki grinned. He quickly returned the ball once Sigyn served it back across the table.</p>
<p>“And which is this?” Sigyn countered, lobbing the ball back. “Love or war?”</p>
<p>This time, Loki caught the ball in mid air, the devilish look in his eyes returned. “I think you've a pretty good idea where I stand. But, perhaps I've tired of games. Perhaps I ought to show you properly.”</p>
<p>He crossed to her end of the table, but Sigyn was not about to abandon her game so quickly.</p>
<p>“Now you just don't want to play because you know I will win!” Sigyn pointed her paddle at the advancing Loki. “You can't distract me that easily!”</p>
<p>“Can't I?” Loki stopped at her side of the table, only her paddle in the space between them. “Darling do you really desire to exhaust all your fierce determination on such a petty battle? Or perhaps we can find a more...<em>pleasurable</em> use for your ardor?” He slid his hand down her extended arm, tickling her barely-dried skin. He lips brushed against her cheek, teasing her. All her competitive charge gave way to sudden cooperation that left her weak in the knees.</p>
<p>The paddle fell to the table with a small clap.</p>
<p>Loki kissed the hair above her ear, the little spot where golden strands met and mixed with crimson. He slid in behind her, caressing her shoulders. “Ah, I knew you'd see reason.”</p>
<p>In an instant he lifted her into his arms, pressing her into the wall as his own determination would wait no longer. His hand sidled up to her thigh, pushing her slip up and away. He propped her up, back to the wall, his hips firm against hers, his knee parting her legs. With so much skin pressed together and little clothing in the way, he wasted little time getting right to the center of pleasure. He kept Sigyn steady, while pushing himself inside her, thrusting rapidly, his prowess never wavering despite holding them both upright. Sigyn nearly melted under his embrace, thankful he could keep her up, for her control over her own limbs dissipated with each grunt of Loki's.</p>
<p>They climaxed. First Sigyn, followed by Loki, quick and intense and hot and profound. Sigyn shut her eyes. For a moment all of Hlesey, the docks, the waves, the storm, the rec room, vanished. All she knew was the sensation of Loki, his body against hers, his mouth over hers, the air between them hot where all else was cool. In the span of a few euphoric seconds, nothing else existed aside from him, and her.</p>
<p>After, Sigyn slid to the ground, panting, passion spent. Her body quaked, unused to holding such an unusual position. Loki collapsed beside her, his eyes half-closed with deep satisfaction. Despite being only a few steps away from the couch, neither bothered to move. The rain outside continued, and the onslaught of raindrops thrummed against the wall.</p>
<p>Sigyn ran a hand over her her mussed hair. “So, who won that round?”</p>
<p>Loki grinned. “We'll call it a draw.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Sigyn's Decision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki recalls a distant memory, leading to a discussion about the future.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The final night of vacation came far too soon. They'd spent most of the day squeezing in a few last-minute activities left on Sigyn's list after a final morning on the deck. Sigyn didn't mind that not everything on her list was checked off, in fact it gave her incentive to plan another visit sometime. Mostly, the final day served as a last look at the Hlesey she'd come to love over the past week. A bittersweet afternoon, but it was time to go. There'd be much work and planning to be done for the upcoming fall semester.</p><p>After their evening walk, Sigyn and Loki set about cleaning, packing, and ensuring nothing was left behind and the Pelican Brief was in pristine shape. Unlike the first road trip, they'd tackle the entire journey home in one day, leaving as soon as the sun came up, and returning with any luck by early evening. Then, their regular lives would resume, with Loki back to his office and Sigyn taking on extra shifts at the university library...facing her big decision. Loki hadn't yet pushed her for an answer, but she couldn't keep him waiting.</p><p>Sigyn looked over her luggage, pondering how best to pack her belongings, for now she had extra souvenirs and lots of little purchases that she needed to take. Gifts for others, a few things for herself: A little dolphin figurine for Idunn, framed sea glass art for Mantis, a sandalwood soy candle for Cynthia, a HLSY frosted glass for her father, and the box of salt water taffy for Darcy. For Loki, a wood carved map of Hlesey that would look perfect on the mantle over his desk in his home office. For herself, she'd found a harbor seal teacup from the aquarium and an oil painting from a local artist of sandpipers on the shore at one of the boutique shops. And Loki had surprised her with a dolphin plush the day after her seasickness. Since she'd missed seeing the real dolphins, he'd joked, she could take one home. She smiled, looking over the new additions to their luggage. It had been a wonderful week, and she'd loved every moment spent with Loki.</p><p>After some finagling and squishing and creative re-packing, she managed to close the zippers on all her luggage, holding everything she'd brought down, and the souvenirs. She brought as many bags as she could carry down the steps leading to the carport. She set them down by the trunk, but found the car locked. She saw no sign of Loki since she'd started packing, though he couldn't have gone far.</p><p>She found him on porch swing the upper deck, looking pensive out at the sea.</p><p>“Loki?” He blinked and turned at the sound of her voice.</p><p>“One last look at the beach?” Sigyn asked as she came over to the swing. Loki shifted over to allow her room to sit beside him.</p><p>“Just a bit lost in my thoughts, darling,” Loki replied with a sigh. Looking closer, his eyes looked wet. “The memories have me a little preoccupied.”</p><p>“Have you found...the thing that you were searching for?”</p><p>Loki tilted his head back. “I don't know.”</p><p>“Are you wishing we hadn't come here? Did it make things worse?”</p><p>“Not at all,” Loki assured. “I am glad to be here with you. You've reminded me that I do truly enjoy coming down here. But even my fond childhood memories come with complications.”</p><p>Sigyn placed her hand on top of his. “What's troubling you tonight?”</p><p>Loki looked at her, his eyes wide, vulnerable, as though he feared giving voice to his thoughts. A light squeeze of his hand reminded him she was here to listen, she his safety net.</p><p>“The summer I was 9,” Loki began quietly. “Thor had invited some of his friends to join us down here. Fandral. Sif. Hogun. I wasn't thrilled about it. I didn't even know we could invite friends, not that I had many to ask anyway. I didn't want these new people coming along, disrupting our summer. In truth I sensed Thor and I were growing apart. Interests diverging, close enough in age that we grew sick of each other. A bout of childhood asthma didn't help matters. I could no longer keep up with Thor's nonstop energy, and he tired of holding back for me. Perhaps it was an inevitable rift, but it hurt. Nevertheless, I tried to fit in, mostly to appease Mother and at least remind Thor of my existence.”</p><p>Sigyn thought of the rift between her and Idunn, particularly in the aftermath of their parents' divorce, one that hadn't completely begun to heal until Idunn had gone away to college, and even then certain topics were too sensitive to broach. She'd sometimes wonder how it was that they could have both gone through the same traumatic event yet have such completely opposing viewpoints from it all. The slow ache of knowing a bond was fraying, and not being able to stop it.</p><p>“One day, not unlike this one, we were playing on the beach, right in front of the house. It had been a hot day, my asthma flared up, but I still wanted to prove I could keep up,” Loki went on. “Eventually, Thor decided we should all go up past the docks where some older teens were surfing. Sif decided we should race up there before the sun went down.”</p><p>“I ran as hard as I could, but...it wasn't enough. The asthma...” Loki swallowed. “I still remember, wheezing, watching them run off without me, not even looking back to see if I was with them. And returning hours later, like it was nothing.” He shook his head. “It's all so pathetic, being so upset over one little thing like that.”</p><p>“But it's not a little thing, Loki,” Sigyn remarked. “Not for you. It confirmed your fear about losing your place in Thor's esteem. It hurt you.”</p><p>“Right there,” Loki pointed to a section of the beach a few yards from the house. “That was where I stood, crying, calling for them though I could barely breathe. I can't forget it.”</p><p>“I'm sorry,” Sigyn said softly. “Did you ever talk to Thor about it?”</p><p>Loki shook his head. “Thor has always been something of a lummox when it comes to other emotions besides his own. At any rate, I'm an adult. It was decades ago. I doubt he'd even remember. I should be past it by now.”</p><p>“I think there are some things you never truly 'get past',” Sigyn mused. “You just learn how to live with the aftermath.”</p><p>“Mmm.” Loki blinked rapidly, stopping the tears that threatened to fall. “From that moment on, I knew I would never be Thor's closest friend. I withdrew after that. Spent the rest of that summer on my own, like I've done ever since. It wasn't the only such incident, mind you, but it's one that burns in my mind to this day.”</p><p>“Did your parents notice? That you felt so rejected?”</p><p>Loki gave a rueful laugh. “ After they ran off, I came back to the house. I was too ashamed to go back inside, so I sat here, right on this swing. I don't know how long, but I just sobbed and sobbed.”</p><p>“Your parents didn't come out for you?”</p><p>“Eventually, <em>Odin </em>came out with my inhaler, which I'd left in the bedroom because I'd feared they'd mock me for it. He didn't say anything for a long time, just sat with me. My wheezing stopped, and in time so did my crying.”</p><p>Loki took a deep breath before going on. “When I'd quieted, he glanced over at me, then back at the ocean. Then he spoke.”</p><p>Sigyn had heard plenty of stories of Odin, and inwardly braced herself.</p><p>“'<em>It may not bring you comfort now, but one day you will see Thor's friends are not for you. You would not have to strive so for acceptance if they were. </em><em>One day their opinions will no longer matter. You will find people of your own. People who know you matter. Where you belong. One day.'” </em>Loki recited Odin's words as though he'd only said them yesterday. “Then he patted my shoulder and we stayed out there for a time, until Thor and his friends came wandering back. He didn't make Thor apologize, or say anything to him. Everything resumed. The moment was gone.”</p><p>Sigyn raised her brow at the revelation, not expecting such oddly tender words from a man she'd grown to despise for how he'd treated her beloved Loki. She caressed his hand, waiting for him to tell her more. "Oh."</p><p>Loki's voice broke as the tears came in earnest. “That was the only time I ever felt close to him.”</p><p>“Loki...” Sigyn's voice trailed off. She allowed him to rest his head on her shoulder while he shed the tears. Her own eyes pricked as she looked out over the beach, easily seeing him in that spot, alone and devastated and lost.</p><p>“I told myself for years that Odin was selfish, controlling, mean...but then I recall that moment...” Loki sighed. “And I question everything. He was capable of showing kindness, after all. But why was he kind to me so rarely? Was I just that pathetic out there alone?” Loki closed his eyes. “I've no idea. Perhaps the problem really was me. He just could not find anything to love in me.”</p><p>“You were a <em>child</em>, Loki. Surely you must know it wasn't your fault. One kind moment doesn't undo all the other things that hurt you. You are not to blame for Odin's faults.”</p><p>“I don't know...” Loki rubbed his face. “I've so much anger, so much pain, and then...this guilt, this grief...I'm not as sad as one ought to be when their father passes, nor am I happy, nor am I empty. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel anymore.”</p><p>Sigyn furrowed her brow as certain elements clicked into place. “Loki, may I ask you something?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“That night of the music festival, when you came to see me. That wasn't the first time it happened, was it? When you were so distraught you couldn't sleep?”</p><p>“No,” Loki confessed quietly. “It's been almost every night. The thoughts, the feelings, they won't stop. Save for when I'm with you.”</p><p>“Is...is that why you want me to move in with you? To cure your insomnia?”</p><p>“It may play a part...” said Loki. “I've tried so hard on my own, Sigyn. I don't know how to make it stop.”</p><p>“But what if I can't fix you?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Sigyn cleared her throat. “My concern is, you will expect all those things that are upsetting you to vanish as soon as I move in...and I'm afraid it won't be like that, Loki. I don't think your troubles can be solved just with me. How will you react if all your problems are still there after we're living together?”</p><p>“You think me unsuitable to live with because I'm...” Loki trailed off. “You don't want me until I'm fixed?”</p><p>Sigyn paused. “I think you're perfectly suitable, just as you are, Loki. But, I also think your struggles run much deeper than you care to admit. And I think if you were to...talk to someone, a professional, a therapist, they'd help you in ways I can't. Who could help you navigate all your feelings and your grief.”</p><p>Loki straightened, moving away from her. “You're sick of me. Hearing about my grievances. I burden you with my issues.”</p><p>“Loki!” Sigyn struggled not to raise her voice, but his comment was unfair. “I did not say that, and you know it.”</p><p>Loki looked away, his eyes cast to the ground. From the slight clench of his jaw, Sigyn knew he was close to shutting her out. She'd gotten so close to understanding what was troubling him, she didn't want him to close off now.</p><p>“Hey, remember when I got seasick a few days ago?” Sigyn tried again. “And you helped me by getting the sick bags, getting me home, bringing me tea and making sure I got rest until I felt better?”</p><p>Loki nodded, eyes still fixed on the ground.</p><p>“But that was just a little bout of illness, and you helped me through it. Now imagine if I'd also had a fever, chills, headache, severe cramps, and couldn't keep anything down. What would you have done then?”</p><p>“Brought you to a hospital.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because that would mean you were seriously ill. You'd need medical treatment.”</p><p>“Exactly. I would need more help than you could provide. You wouldn't be sending me away because you didn't want to deal with me, but because I needed professional help. Making sure I was cared for properly is a loving act,” Sigyn explained. She brushed a stray lock of hair back from his face. “Loki, I didn't bring up therapy to upset you, but I think you might need someone who is trained to help you in ways I can't, that's all.”</p><p>“Am I truly so damaged?”</p><p>“<em>Wounded</em>. You are wounded, Loki. You have been for a long time,” said Sigyn. She traced Loki's jawline until he turned to look at her. “I think it's time you had a chance to heal.”</p><p>“What if I...can't?” Loki asked quietly. “Will you still love me?”</p><p>“Loki I will love you no matter what," Sigyn spoke from the heart. "I love you so much I want to make sure you are cared for properly. You deserve to be at peace. I want to help you find it.”</p><p>“I...I never believed I could be at peace,” Loki murmured. He took a long breath and looked back out to the sea. A lost, vulnerable look in his eyes. “You're the first person who's ever made me feel that I'm not hopeless.”</p><p>“You're not hopeless, Loki,” Sigyn soothed. “I believe in you even if you don't yet. And you know I will do anything and everything in my power to help you. And with just a little more help, you could feel so much better." </p><p>At this, Loki swept his arms around her in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair.</p><p>For a long while, neither spoke. Underneath them, the swing light rocked in the evening wind. Tension left Loki's body as he leaned into her, and she took him into her arms. All was silent wave for the soft crash of waves in the distance. Sigyn closed her eyes, thinking of how much happiness he'd brought her since they'd met. </p><p>Eventually, Loki rose his head. “Sigyn?”</p><p>“Mm?”</p><p>Loki released her. His hands slid up to her shoulders as he looked in her eyes, his own full of tenderness and gratitude. “I never expected you to cure me. I only wish to have you stay with me through the darkness, so that I need not face it alone.”</p><p>“I will,” Sigyn promised, caressing his cheek. “Of course I will. I will beside you every night, so I can see you smile in the morning.”</p><p>“You will? Every night?"</p><p>"Every night."</p><p>A hopeful smile graced Loki's face. "You'll move in with me?”</p><p>“Yes, Loki,” Sigyn said with a warm smile and a kiss, heartened that she knew it was the right decision. “Yes, I would <em>love</em> to move in with you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Back to Reality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Sigyn return to their routine, and discover new things about one another.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They departed early the next morning. A twinge of sadness needled Sigyn as the beach house faded into the distance. Saturdays were the typical turnover days in Hlesey, with vacationers departing in the morning, followed by newcomers entering in the afternoons, causing traffic jams in both directions. But as Sigyn watched the sun, the waves, the throngs of happy, smiling people out and about, it seemed she was leaving behind an eternal summer, though she knew well autumn would reach Hlesey, as it would back home.</p>
<p>Unlike the carefree stretches of highway that defined the drive down to the beach house, the drive back dragged along, marred by snarls of traffic, detours, and the bittersweet return to routine that awaited them at the end. The drive wound up taking nearly 12 hours total, and Loki and Sigyn felt every interminable minute of it.</p>
<p>At long last, they pulled up to the curb of Sigyn's apartment. Loki insisted on dropping her off and helping bring up her bags despite the obvious exhaustion on his face. They dragged her luggage up the stairs, with Sigyn fumbling for the key once she reached the door.</p>
<p>The apartment was empty when she opened the door. Darcy was likely scrambling to prepare for her big move and Mantis possibly spending time with her brother and his friends. Despite only being gone for a week, Sigyn stood dumbfounded at how <em>odd</em> the apartment looked, though it wasn't much different than when she'd left it. Accustomed to the wide, bright, airy beach house, the apartment seemed all the more dark, cramped, and stuffy. Still, it was home, and she'd missed it.</p>
<p>Home for now, anyway.</p>
<p>“Glad to be back, darling?” Loki asked, setting down one of Sigyn's suitcases and sliding her messenger bag off his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yeah...” Sigyn replied, slightly dazed from the contrast, not quite ready to come back to reality. “It just...looks different.”</p>
<p>All her things were here. Her routine was here. Her nearby grocery store, the pharmacy, the buslines she took...it was all here. And would have to change. She'd have to give the landlord her notice within the next few days. She'd have to update her address on her school records, at the bank, take the utilities out of her name, learn new transit routes. In less than a month's time, she'd no longer live here. Her time here was nearly over.</p>
<p>A palpable wave of melancholy rushed over her, buckling her knees and sending her onto the futon. A finality. A part of her life nearing an end, and the reality overwhelmed her in way that seemed too close, too sudden since she'd returned to the city.</p>
<p>“Sigyn?” Loki placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“Yeah...” Sigyn wiped her eyes. “I'm just a little tired...overwhelmed.”</p>
<p>“By the drive?”</p>
<p>“By...everything,” Sigyn replied quietly. “It's hit me, that I'm leaving here.”</p>
<p>Loki furrowed his brow. “Are you regretting your decision? Do you not wish to move in with me anymore?”</p>
<p>“No, no,” Sigyn assured through her melancholy. “I do want to live you. I'm excited to move in but...” she bit her lip. “I'm...a little sad. That this is ending, is all.”</p>
<p>“Overcome by sentiment?”</p>
<p>“This was a good time for me. Being on my own. My first apartment.” She looked around, recalling the day she'd first gone to look at it. It was the third one she'd seen that day. Her fifth choice when all was said and done. It had taken her awhile to learn that apartments came and went within hours in the city, especially in the lead up to a new school year. For all the imperfections, she'd found a lot to like about it.</p>
<p>“When I first moved out, I lived in a former private school that had been renovated into apartments,” said Loki. “A block or so away from the little notary public where I'd worked as a clerk for a few summers during undergrad. Something of an odd set up. Ridiculously overpriced. Problem with silverfish in the bathroom during spring. Very hard to keep warm in the winter. Yet I was fond of it. Proof I could manage without my family. That I could have a life of my own.” He swept Sigyn's hair back off her shoulder. “This was your monument to your independence, starting down your own path. It hurts to leave it behind.”</p>
<p>Sigyn nodded. “It does. But it's not just that.”</p>
<p>“Tell me.”</p>
<p>“I'm going to miss them. Darcy and Mantis. We'll never be this close again.”</p>
<p>“You'll still be in touch?”</p>
<p>Sigyn shook her head. “We say we will but...that's how it always goes, doesn't it? We say we'll stay friends, we'll meet up in soon...maybe we do for awhile but eventually...it never stays that way. Nanna. My college friends. My old coworkers...it's all the same. There's people who were my closest friends for years and then...you just fade away from their lives.”</p>
<p>“Hey.” Loki sat beside her on the futon. “Listen. You're right. Your friendships will change. You may not stay close. You can try. But it will evolve. They will evolve. You will evolve. Life goes on.”</p>
<p>Sigyn sighed, leaning onto Loki's shoulder for comfort. “I wish starting something new didn't mean other things have to end.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Loki nuzzled her hair. “All things have their denouement. It's okay to mourn. This, too, shall pass.”</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Nearly 14 hours after leaving Hlesey, Loki returned home at last. Weary, drowsy, and muscles aching from sitting for so long, he dropped his luggage near the door, deciding to deal with it all tomorrow. He looked over the condo, leaning against the wall as he stretched. It would soon be Sigyn's home, too, and he tried to see it through her eyes. He'd need to make room for her.</p>
<p>But it he didn't want to just shift some furniture around. He wanted to make a space for her, to let her know she belonged there, just as much as he did. That she wasn't just moving into his space, she was coming home to their space.</p>
<p>A space for her...</p>
<p>His phone buzzed, disrupting his thoughts. He grimaces slightly at the name of the caller, but answered.</p>
<p>“Yes, Mother?”</p>
<p>“Well, hello, my son,” said Frigga, as though hearing his voice were something of a surprise even though she'd called him. “How are you?”</p>
<p>“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Loki asked, hoping she'd get to the point.</p>
<p>“As it happens I was looking over my papers for the beach house this afternoon,” Frigga replied with a certain satisfaction. “And it seems a very familiar name showed up on the bookings for this month. I only wonder why.”</p>
<p>Loki pursed his lips. He'd expected her to find out eventually, though he hadn't said anything about the vacation prior to leaving. It would have invited too many questions. “Perhaps I wished to take up surfing.”</p>
<p>“Hmm.” Frigga's usual disbelieving response came thru the line. “In that large beach house, all by yourself?”</p>
<p>“As I recall, the rental contract does not include a minimum occupancy,” said Loki. “Only no smoking, no large gatherings, and a cleaning deposit.” At some point after Odin's funeral, Thor had let slip that Loki was seeing someone. It seemed Sigyn's presence had not gone unnoticed that day. Loki was not hiding her as though she were a shameful secret, but his family had a tendency to ruin many things he enjoyed once they got involved, and even after Odin's death, he had little reason to expect any difference.</p>
<p>“Well, so long as you enjoyed yourself,” Frigga conceded. “Now, I trust you are back?”</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>“And no new trips coming up next week?”</p>
<p>“I'm afraid not.”</p>
<p>“Good. And next weekend, how will you be spending it?”</p>
<p>She was fishing for something, Loki knew. Yet her prying questions did not allow room for Loki to conduct his own inquiry. “That entirely depends on what the week brings.”</p>
<p>“So you have no concrete plans.”</p>
<p>Loki grimaced. He still had no idea what Frigga was aiming at, but now the time came to make a choice: admit the truth or come up with a semi-plausible lie. Usually adept at thinking on his feet, the long ride home left his mind clouded. His turned over any possible plans. A movie? A night on the town? Easily rescheduled. A show? He glanced around for a the theater schedule, but found only the one from the previous month. Frigga would no doubt ask for details he could not yet provide.</p>
<p>“I will have some errands, no doubt,” he replied before too much time had lapsed.</p>
<p>“And how long will those errands take?”</p>
<p>Loki rubbed his temple. Where was this going? “Mother, what is this about?”</p>
<p>“Am I not allowed to ask my son questions?” Frigga asked innocently. “Perhaps I just wish to know more about my youngest son's schedule.”</p>
<p>“My errands will take most of the day, I imagine,” Loki reluctantly answered.</p>
<p>“And after your errands,” Frigga persisted. “You <em>will </em>be available.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps,” said Loki, resigned.</p>
<p>“Excellent,” Frigga replied. “And when do you anticipate finishing?”</p>
<p>Loki didn't bother to hide his scoff. “At some point in the evening.”</p>
<p>“How late in the evening?”</p>
<p>“Very late.”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Frigga remained unconvinced, still prying, still giving nothing away. “Well, I know most of the businesses near you close by 6. Surely you must be finished by then.”</p>
<p>“It's possible.”</p>
<p>“Good! Then I will schedule our dinner for 7, to give you plenty of time to get here,” said Frigga, triumphant. “I will let Thor and Hela know. It will be so good to see you!”</p>
<p>His initial instinct was to resist, and he opened his mouth to protest, but a glance at his wall calendar gave him pause. A look at Saturday's date, one he associated with awkward phone calls, falsely cheerful greeting cards, and strained family gatherings, dissolved his annoyance at Frigga's tactics.</p>
<p>Odin's birthday.</p>
<p>Rather, what would have been Odin's birthday.</p>
<p>So that explained why Frigga wanted them to visit.</p>
<p>He cursed his softened heart, his irritation at her tactics faded. “Very well,” Loki acquiesced. “What shall I bring?”</p>
<p>“And if you happened to have someone you were planning to spend your Saturday night with,” Frigga finished. “Well, you'll just have to bring her too.”</p>
<p>
  <b>*</b>
</p>
<p>“You don't have to come, darling,” said Loki, adjusting his sleeves. “All the best if you wish to avoid my family's...everything.”</p>
<p>“No, I'd like to,” said Sigyn, rolling a little ball of dough and handing it over to Loki, who placed on the baking sheet in on the kitchen island. She rolled a second ball and handed it over. “And you were so patient being around my entire family for an entire day. I'm sure I can handle a dinner with three of yours. How bad could it be?”</p>
<p>“Oh, my sweet summer princess,” Loki said with a rueful chuckle. “You've no idea.”</p>
<p>“No matter how bad it gets tonight, I won't love you any less,” Sigyn reassured Loki. She continued handing Loki little balls of dough, scraping the sides of her bowl until she managed one last minute ball, which just barely fit in the little corner of the sheet. “There. I think those are ready for the oven. 20 minutes.”</p>
<p>As if on queue, the oven pinged and the little red light turned off, indicating it had pre-heated. Loki popped the filled sheet inside, setting the timer.</p>
<p>“I never realized you had such an affinity for baking,” Loki remarked as Sigyn watched the little rolls heat.</p>
<p>“I always liked it growing up,” Sigyn replied. She'd honed something of a knack for it after so many afternoons spent in her grandmother's kitchen. It made her feel connected to her family, reminded her that she was a part of something even when everything fractured. She loved baking things for other people to enjoy and share, sometimes sticking with the tried-and-true recipes written down by her grandparent, sometimes venturing into new experiments. “But I haven't had a chance to bake much since school started. The oven at my apartment is so old and tiny I doubt it could handle much. We usually just use the microwave or toaster for most of our food anyway. Come to think of it, I don't think we've ever used the oven.”</p>
<p>“But this one will suffice, I trust?”</p>
<p>“I can work with this.” Sigyn smiled. “Though I may put it to the test if these rolls turn out well.”</p>
<p>“Have your way with it, darling,” Loki replied. “I look forward to the results.”</p>
<p>Sigyn leaned her head on Loki's shoulder. “Assuming my schedule isn't too crazy this fall. Classes and work...”</p>
<p>“Speaking of which,” Loki cleared his throat. “You'll be free on Fridays, yes?”</p>
<p>“Well, I'll have my Metadata class Friday morning when classes start back up, but apart from that I'll be free in the afternoon.”</p>
<p>“Good, good.”</p>
<p>Sigyn cocked her head. “Any reason?”</p>
<p>“Well, I've made an appointment. For next Friday.” Loki gazed down at her. “To talk to someone. As you suggested.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Sigyn perked up. “That's wonderful, Loki! I'm so glad you decided to try.”</p>
<p>Loki bowed his head slightly, taking a breath. “Come with me?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Sigyn replied. “I'll come with you. What would you like me to do? Come into the session with you? Wait in the lobby?”</p>
<p>“Well, make sure I actually attend the session, for one,” said Loki. “Apart from that, we'll see. But I would feel much more at ease with you there, if you don't mind.”</p>
<p>“Not at all,” said Sigyn. “If you need me, I will be there.”</p>
<p>Loki kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Over time, the pale balls of dough heated and browned to a deep golden hue. Sigyn crouched in front of the oven, eyes volleying between the what would be the homemade dinner rolls for tonight's dinner and the timer. Her nerves pricked as she waited, hoping they'd turn out well. It was her grandmother's recipe, served at every Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving without fail for generations. She'd offered to make them when Loki invited her to meet his family, and now worried they wouldn't turn out right. Or perhaps his family wouldn't even like them even if they did.</p>
<p>“You think these will be okay?” she asked.</p>
<p>“So long as they are not raw dough, they will be fine,” said Loki.</p>
<p>“It's just...I don't know what kind of food your family likes. Are you sure they're not expecting...something fancier?”</p>
<p>“Fancier? Like what?”</p>
<p>“I don't know...” Sigyn shrugged. “Organic, expensive ingredients? Intricate shapes?”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes,” Loki replied. “As I recall we wouldn't touch a piece of bread unless it had been handmade within 30 seconds of serving and contained at least three plaits and cost no less than $50 to make. Anything else was for peasants.”</p>
<p>Sigyn's eyes widened. “What?”</p>
<p>“I'm kidding, darling.” Loki winked. “Your dinner rolls will suit us just fine.”</p>
<p>Sigyn poked at the oven. “I don't want to embarrass you.”</p>
<p>“How could you embarrass me?”</p>
<p>Sigyn bit her lip. “It's just, you come from a certain... background. A high class lifestyle and I don't always feel...like I belong with you sometimes. You're so sophisticated and elegant and worldly and erudite. I imagine all your family is too. I don't want them to think you've downgraded by being with me.”</p>
<p>“Have you been speaking with Aunt Hilda?”</p>
<p>“No,” Sigyn replied with a sigh. “I wish it were that simple. It would be easier to brush off if it were just her words and not my own thoughts. Sometimes when I look at you I can't believe you'd want to be with me of all people when you could have anyone. Why do you look at me the way you do when there's so many others leagues above me?”</p>
<p>“Darling,” Loki cupped her chin, tilting it to look at her. “You are not a downgrade for me. I am with you because just anyone simply will not do. I wish to be with you. Always.” His lips brushed over hers. “Now, fear not what anyone else may think of you, even if they are my relatives. Their opinions matter little.”</p>
<p>Relieved, Sigyn pressed her forehead against his. “You make me feel so less anxious about everything,” she murmured. “You silence the all the criticisms in my head. How do you do it?”</p>
<p>Loki ran this thumb along her jawline. “A certain type of magic, perhaps?”</p>
<p>The oven timer beeped, indicating the rolls finished baking. As expected, they'd reached the perfect rich golden color. Sigyn got to her feet, turning off the heat and pulling out the rolls. “Now we just let them sit for a minute, then we can pack them up.”</p>
<p>Loki rose behind her, hugging her close from behind. “Sigyn. I am so glad you are mine. This place, my world, everything is so much more...<em>alive</em> when you're with me. Even unpleasant things are far less dreadful when I have you near.”</p>
<p>Sigyn dropped her head back. Now that she'd contended with her melancholy over moving out, she'd started to feel genuine excitement over living with Loki. “I can't wait to live here.”</p>
<p>“It will come soon,” said Loki. “But now we must depart. Ready to make your debut, my love?”</p>
<p>She slung her purse over her shoulder and picked up the bottle of Cabernet Sauvigon they'd picked up from the local Wine Cellar a few blocks away from the condo. “Anyway, if we're going to live to together, I can't exactly hide forever, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the appointed hour, the Jaguar pulled into the sprawling driveway of Loki's childhood home. Sigyn's eyes widened as she took in the large house and sprawling property.</p>
<p>“What's a hearse doing here?” she asked, eyeing the vehicle beside the big red pickup truck parked in the driveway.</p>
<p>“Hela. My sister.” Loki pulled into the empty spot. “She's a funeral director. Very much relishes the role in many ways.”</p>
<p>“Is she always so morbid?”</p>
<p>Loki quirked an eyebrow. “I did inform you you had no idea what you were getting into tonight.”</p>
<p>They walked up to the front door, Loki holding the wine and Sigyn with the still warm basket of dinner rolls. Loki moved ahead of her up the brick walkway.</p>
<p>“Oh my,” Sigyn cooed. “Look how gorgeous and fluffy you are!”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Loki blushed, placing a hand on the back of his head. “I've been experimenting with allowing my ends to curl naturally instead of straightening-” he stopped when he turned his back to find Sigyn looking into the living room window, eyes not on him at all.</p>
<p>Frigga had adopted a cat recently, as a way of easing her isolation after Odin's passing. The cat in question, a calico Maine Coon named Bygul, now lounged in the window overlooking the front yard. This was the target of Sigyn's adoration, Loki realized too late.</p>
<p>“Oh, but of course you're quite gorgeous, too,” said Sigyn, pulling her gaze from Bygul as Loki reached the front door.</p>
<p>“Hello, Loki,” Frigga said from the doorway. She gave her son a quick peck on the cheek. “So wonderful to see you.”</p>
<p>“Hello, Mother.”</p>
<p>Frigga released Loki, turning her attention to Sigyn, looking her over. “And you must be?”</p>
<p>“Sigyn.” Sigyn said softly, her cheeks flushing. She wondered what Loki had told them about her, if anything. Apparently not her name. It gave her pause. Was Loki truly embarrassed by her? “N-nice to meet you, um, Ms...Mrs...”</p>
<p>“Frigga,” said Frigga, moving aside to allow her guests inside. “Welcome, dear. Thor told me so much about you. ”</p>
<p>“Thor?”</p>
<p>“Well, I can hardly get much of anything out of this one,” Frigga gestured at a mortified Loki. “So I rely on whatever source I can.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Sigyn shyly held up her dinner rolls, brushing off the sting. Loki avoided her eyes. “I made these.”</p>
<p>Frigga accepted the basket. “Thank you, Sigyn. Would you like a drink?”</p>
<p>Sigyn followed her into the kitchen, finding another tall woman dressed in black and dark hair the same shade as Loki's pouring herself a glass of scotch from the liquor cabinet. This must be Loki's sister.</p>
<p>“Hi,” Sigyn spoke up, offering her hand. “I'm Sigyn. I'm with Loki. Nice to meet you!”</p>
<p>The dark-haired woman gave a quick nod. “I'm Hela.” She turned her attention back to the Scotch in the cabinet.</p>
<p>In the living room, Thor lay stretched out on the sofa, flicking through the channels on the TV. His right wrist was covered with a brace. He spotted Loki, and put his un-bandaged hand up in a half-greeting.</p>
<p>"Thor." Loki nodded as he took the armchair by the sofa. His eyes went right to the bandage despite Thor's efforts to conceal it. “What happened to your wrist?”</p>
<p>Thor clenched his jaw.</p>
<p>Intrigued, Loki leaned forward, cocking his brow.</p>
<p>Thor ran his hand over his mouth. “<em>Pickle jar.”</em></p>
<p>Loki bit back a smirk.“Pickle jar?”</p>
<p>Thor grunted.</p>
<p>“A pickle jar did this to you?” Loki didn't bother hiding his amusement.</p>
<p>“Their lids are too small and too tight and impossible to open!” Thor protested.</p>
<p>Thor's tirade ceased when Sigyn poked her head into the living room. “Loki, would you like anything to drink?” She noticed Thor and gave a quick wave.</p>
<p>“I'm fine, darling, thank you,” Loki replied as Thor smiled and waved back. Sigyn ducked away from view.</p>
<p>“Finally you brought her,” Thor gloated once Sigyn was out of earshot. “That wasn't so hard, was it?”</p>
<p>“Against my better judgment, yes.” Loki flicked his eyes back over to Thor, lowering his voice. “Don't make me regret it.”</p>
<p>“Sigyn is...beset by this notion that she isn't worthy of me. That she isn't good enough. It is not true in the slightest but such irrational thoughts are hard for her to dismiss. And I've come to understand why. When I invited her tonight she feared we would look down on her.”</p>
<p>Thor shrugged. “Then tell her not to!”</p>
<p>“Tell her not to?” Loki scoffed. “Why, what a perfect solution, brother. How had I not thought of that? Just sweep all her many insecurities away with one little directive: Don't have insecurities! It's a wonder she didn't simply think to do it herself a long time ago.”</p>
<p>Thor glowered. “I only mean to help, Loki.”</p>
<p>Loki bit his tongue before another snide comment escaped his lips. Irked as he was by Thor's overly simplistic viewpoints, his obliviousness of other people's emotions, his attempt at helping was...<em>something</em>, even if it wasn't particularly helpful. Beside, he only wished to get through the next few hours without any discord.</p>
<p>“If you wish to help,” Loki replied after taking a long deep breath, “Do so by remaining on your best behavior.”</p>
<p>Thor furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? We're merely having dinner with her?”</p>
<p>“What I mean, dear brother, is that if at any point this evening you, or anyone else, makes Sigyn feel anything less than 100% welcome, a sprained wrist will be the <em>least </em>of your problems.” Loki hissed before Sigyn wandered into the living room, a glass of wine in her hand.</p>
<p>The tension eased somewhat over the dinner table. Once the food was served, Frigga turned her attention to Sigyn, asking her about school, her job, her family. Eventually, the topic of the museum summer camps came up.</p>
<p>“And what kinds of programs did you have?” Frigga asked courteously.</p>
<p>“All kinds,” Sigyn replied, perking up. “We did a program on dinosaurs, one on gemstones...we even had an astrophysicist come to visit from Princeton for our space week. And the kids were so-”</p>
<p>A sudden slam against the table disrupted the polite conversation. Sigyn paused mid-sentence to find Thor glaring her.</p>
<p>“Astrophysicist?” Thor cut in. “From Princeton?”</p>
<p>“Um...” Sigyn sputtered.</p>
<p>“What was her name?” Thor stood, storming over to the other side of the table where Sigyn sat with Loki.</p>
<p>“I...”</p>
<p>“Jane Foster?” Thor demanded.</p>
<p>Sigyn shrank back, baffled. “Y-yes?”</p>
<p>All too late, Sigyn recalled where she'd heard the name Jane Foster before.</p>
<p>“I...I didn't...”</p>
<p>“Thor,” Frigga said evenly. “I don't think our new guest was aware of your relationship with Jane.”</p>
<p>“What did she say? Did she mention me? Why is she in town?” Thor went on, ignoring Frigga.</p>
<p>Loki sprang to his feet the instant Thor rounded the table, blocking this path to Sigyn. “Thor. Leave. Her. Alone.”</p>
<p>“This does not concern you, Loki,” Thor growled. He pointed at Sigyn. “Tell me everything you know about Jane.”</p>
<p>“N-nothing!” Sigyn protested. “She gave a presentation at the planetarium and we talked about star parties, that's all!” The absurd notion that she was in the midst of an interrogation, pleading her innocence, struck her. A vague panic that she'd stumbled into a trap she had no way to escape, only to squirm under Thor's daunting glare.</p>
<p>Thor, undeterred by Loki's glowered and Frigga's murmured pleas, pressed on. “When was this?”</p>
<p>“A...a few weeks ago?”</p>
<p>Loki looked to her over his shoulder. “Sigyn, you need not answer him.” His tone remained even but his eyes flashed with anger and his arms shook slightly. To Thor, he said “Thor, enough!”</p>
<p>Sigyn watched as the brother stared each other down, guilt seeping into her gut. “Uh...” she stammered, rising on shaking legs. “Will you excuse me...?” She rose and fled down the hall towards the bathroom.</p>
<p>Hela leaned back in her seat, sipping her wine as she surveyed the discord. With a smirk, she turned to Loki.</p>
<p>“I like her.”</p>
<p>“Well, thank you so much, dear brother,” Loki snarled. “I ask one thing of you this entire evening and you can't even manage that.”</p>
<p>“Of course you're angry,” Thor bellowed. “You've been angry with since before you even got here. You've been angry with me since...since the day you they brought here from that orphanage!”</p>
<p>Frigga clasped her hands. “Thor!”</p>
<p>Loki blinked his eyes at the low blow, willing himself not to show Thor he'd hurt him.</p>
<p>“And who do you think made me angry?” He shot back.</p>
<p>“How should I know?” Thor roared. “You're the who's so hung up on so many imagined slights from the past! Why do you refuse to let them go!”</p>
<p>“Because they hurt me!” Loki snapped.</p>
<p>Several seconds of interminable silence followed the admission. Loki caught his breath, realizing he'd been shaking all along. Thor's glare softened slightly. Frigga's hand cupped over her mouth. Hela looked on, having not moved from her spot at the table. This was it. His family. His reality. Even without Odin, falling into the same arguments, the same patterns, the same cycles over and over again, stalwart in refusal to change, leaving him exhausted. Without another word, he turned and set off down the hall.</p>
<p>Sigyn emerged from the bathroom, pressing her eyes into the hand towel until she was certain no tears would come. The shouts raged on, compelling her to stay back, stay hidden.</p>
<p>She sat on the step leading to the front door, eyes downcast, purse in hand. Bygul took up residence on her lap, and she methodically stroked the cat's dense fur, murmuring to it in between taking deep breaths. Muffled arguing carried on from the kitchen. Sigyn's pulse raced the longer it went on and her head ached as she tried to work out what she ought to do. Intervene? Help clean up, though they weren't finished eating? Leave? Apologize to Thor, though she'd be unlikely to get a word in?</p>
<p>Sigyn's own parents never argued in front of her, preferring hushed quarrels from behind the bedroom door, leaving their none the wiser about their myriad issues. Apart from leaving her blindsided by the revelation of their unhappiness, Sigyn realized now she had no idea how to handle such conflict out in the open. Was this normal? Was her family's way normal?</p>
<p>Several footsteps behind her called her attention. “There you are,” said Loki as she peered up at him. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p>Sigyn shrugged. She looked away when he sat beside her. “Welcome to my family,” he said with a bitter smile.</p>
<p>“Should I go?” Sigyn asked quietly. “I can order an Uber.”</p>
<p>“And leave me to deal with this madness alone? I think not.” Loki took a seat on the step slightly above hers, idly stroking Bygul's fur. “If it's any consolation, this is one of the less disastrous get-togethers we've had.”</p>
<p>“I can't believe I forgot...me and my stupidity.”</p>
<p>“Hey.” Loki swept her hair off her shoulder. “I'll thank you not to speak of the woman I love in such a manner.”</p>
<p>“I ruined your family dinner. Thor is angry. Frigga is upset.” Sigyn sighed. “All my fault.”</p>
<p>“You did no such thing, darling. Thor is...Thor. You are not to blame for his ill temper. Mother knows well you had nothing to do with it.”</p>
<p>“I knew her name sounded familiar. I should have remembered you mentioning her.”</p>
<p>“Once. In passing.”</p>
<p>“You've been trying to heal a rift, and I made it worse.” Sigyn closed her eyes. “I should have stayed home.”</p>
<p>“Now you see what I must deal with.” Loki shook his head. “I know you're upset that I didn't tell Frigga about you, and I am sorry...everything my touches brings ruin with it. It's like a curse...I didn't want it to reach you too. I thought it would be better if they didn't know much about you. Thor and his big, witless mouth...refusing to leave well enough alone.”</p>
<p>“Why <em>was</em> he so angry?”</p>
<p>Loki bit his lip. “I suspect he'd assumed Jane would contact him upon her return. He reacts poorly to disappointment. Lashes out. Tantrums. He always has.”</p>
<p>“I see now. Why you were afraid to bring me. To talk about me. I had no idea he'd go off so easily.”</p>
<p>“It had nothing to do with you, nor my feelings for you.” Loki stopped petting Bygul and took Sigyn's hand. “My family...this madness is complicated Sigyn. I'd hoped with Odin gone things would level but...I see it will take so much more than that.”</p>
<p>“I heard what he said to you. About the orphanage. That was cruel.”</p>
<p>“Yes. It was,” said a third voice from above the steps.</p>
<p>Sigyn and Loki turned to see Thor standing over them, his angry scowl replaced with regret. Instinctively, Loki leaned back, his arm extended to shield Sigyn from Thor.</p>
<p>“I should not have said that,” Thor continued. “I should not have said, and done, a lot of things to you, brother. I'm trying. To improve, but I...I need to do more.”</p>
<p>Loki took a long breath, resisting the snide comment on the tip of his tongue. The sincerity on Thor's face cracked some of the hard shell he'd developed just to cope with nonstop loneliness and insults. Still, he was wary of his brother, not ready to let bygones be bygones just yet. Not quite ready to trust.</p>
<p>Before Loki could reply, Thor shifted his eyes to Sigyn. “And Sigyn, I am sorry for my rude behavior. If your appetite hasn't been spoiled by my boorishness, we would all like for you to return to the table so we can resume getting to know you and enjoy your splendid dinner rolls.” Thor gestured towards the living room with a slight bow.</p>
<p>Sigyn looked to Loki, searching his eyes to see what he wished to do. He'd endured so much pain because of his family, and she didn't want him subjected to more if he wasn't ready. If they stayed or left, she would follow his lead. He knew them better than anyone else. She nodded slightly, letting him know she'd support whatever he wanted to do.</p>
<p>Loki rose. “I suppose we're willing to give this evening other try,” he said after a moment, helping Sigyn to her feet despite Bygul's protests. “But if there's another mishap, brother, we're leaving.”</p>
<p>Thor nodded. “Fair enough.” The three of them made their way back to the dining room, willing, for now, to try again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Welcome Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Loki and Sigyn close out their summer with a few fresh starts.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following Friday, Sigyn met Loki in the lobby of the Jotunheim Centre, a few minutes before his 3 o'clock appointment with Dr. Mimir. The therapist's office was located a few blocks away from where Loki worked, enabling him to leave a little early on Friday to start his first session. She'd come along to support him, as promised, but her mind turned over exactly what he'd want her to do. Did he want her to wait out here? Go into the session with him? Should she speak? Just listen?</p>
<p>She waited by the lobby fountain until she spotted him coming off the elevator. His face bore the steely mask that signaled his tension.</p>
<p>“Loki!” Sigyn waved. She met him right in front of the elevator banks and pecked his cheek. “Are you ready?”</p>
<p>Loki clasped her hands over her arms, giving them a squeeze, his body stiff. His pulse thrummed hard against her chest as they embraced. “Ready as I can ever hope to be, I suppose.”</p>
<p>“Are we taking the bus? Or do we have enough time to go on foot?” Sigyn squeezed his hand as they stepped outside. “Maybe a quick walk over will help your nerves.”</p>
<p>“It's not far at all, we can walk,” said Loki. “Though I fear my nerves are past that point.”</p>
<p>“It's alright to be nervous,” Sigyn assured. “It's always the worst coming in from the waiting room, when you first sit down in front of them for the first time, not knowing what they'll be like.”</p>
<p>Loki paused. “You've been to therapy?”</p>
<p>“Not for some time, but yes,” Sigyn explained as they navigated a busy crosswalk. “In middle school and the first part of high school.”</p>
<p>“...did it help?”</p>
<p>“Not at first,” Sigyn admitted. “I didn't really like my first therapist.”</p>
<p>“You didn't?”</p>
<p>“The thing is, she was appointed by the court. A family therapist, but she wasn't <em>my </em>therapist. She was more interested in keeping the family conflict to a minimum, do damage control...she wasn't there for me like I needed. I felt I had to tell her what she wanted to hear instead of what I really felt. And it just made me feel worse.”</p>
<p>“And that if this Dr. Mimir does exactly that?” Loki asked. “What if...what if he sides with Odin? Agrees that I am truly at fault for everything?”</p>
<p>“Your therapist is supposed to help you work through your issues, not blame you” Sigyn replied. “And if they're not helping you heal, keep looking until you find one who does.”</p>
<p>“Is that what you did?”</p>
<p>“My guidance counselor helped,” said Sigyn. “But yes, my second therapist, the one I chose, who was there to help <em>me</em>, got me through a few difficult times. Helped me deal with my feelings. Reminded me that I mattered, too. That my wants and needs were important.” Sigyn stroked Loki's arm. “That's what I want for you, Loki, even if it takes a few tries.”</p>
<p>They'd reached the lobby of Folkvang Plaza, the location of Dr. Mimir's office. Upon checking in, they settled into two back chairs in the waiting room. Sigyn searched along the stacks of magazines on offer, leafing through a six-month old issue of Consumer Reports. Loki sat beside her, his clenched fist against his mouth, saying nothing.</p>
<p>“Loki,” Sigyn asked after a moment. “What would you like me to do when the session starts? Should I come in with you? Wait out here?”</p>
<p>“I'm afraid I'm not so adept at opening up to strangers,” Loki confessed. “I may wish to have you beside me...but I think I ought to try going in alone.”</p>
<p>“Well, if you need me to come in, just say the word. I can stay quiet and only chime in when you want me to.”</p>
<p>Loki nodded. He turned his eyes to the door leading to Dr. Mimir's office. The appointment was fast approaching. The fearful look did not leave his eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Sigyn took his hand. “No matter how today goes, I just want you to know I'm so proud of you, Loki.”</p>
<p>He clasped her shoulder. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>The office door opened. A short, grey-haired, frail old man with glasses poked his head out. “Mr. Odinson?”</p>
<p>Loki stood, taking a shuddering breath. Sigyn squeezed his hand one more time. “Good luck.” He vanished behind Dr. Mimir's door.</p>
<p>As the time passed, Sigyn busied herself checking her email, updating her address on every account she could think of, and made a list of supplies she'd need for the upcoming semester, and looked over the tasks she'd need to handle before she moved in with Loki.</p>
<p>In time, Dr. Mimir's door opened. Loki emerged, looking vulnerable and drowsy yet relieved. The suppressed nervous energy had dissipated from his body, and he seemed slightly more at ease as he checked out, a little stack of folders and pamphlets in one hand.</p>
<p>“How'd it go?” Sigyn asked, once they'd reached the elevators and Dr. Mimir was well out of earshot.</p>
<p>“Not nearly as painful as I'd feared,” said Loki. “Not bad. Really not that bad. He wishes for me to return next week.”</p>
<p>“Do you think you'll go back?”</p>
<p>Loki gave a small shrug. “Worth another visit, I suppose.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the session, Loki and Sigyn stopped at the university bookstore so Sigyn could pick up a few supplies for the upcoming semester. Sigyn lead the way around the aisles, finding nearly everything on her list, filling the little plastic basket up.</p>
<p>“I think that covers it,” Sigyn said, dropping some post-its into her basket. “Ready?” She turned to find herself alone. “Loki?”</p>
<p>So absorbed in getting her supplies, she hadn't noticed Loki was no longer behind her. Somewhere between the towers of fridge magnets and the stacks of coffee mugs bearing the university logo, he'd wandered off.</p>
<p>She re-traced her steps, finding him by a display of bound writing journals, all with various, artistic designs and textures. He held one in hands, it's cover a deep green with an intricate spiraling pattern etched in shining gold metallic in the center. He inspected it, running his thumb over the pages, lost in thought.</p>
<p>“That one's pretty,” Sigyn commented. “Did you want one?”</p>
<p>Loki looked up, closing the journal. “Just looking, my love.”</p>
<p>“Well, I'm ready if you are.”</p>
<p>Loki started to put the journal back, but hesitated.</p>
<p>Sigyn held up the basket. “I get a discount here, if you want it.”</p>
<p>Loki pursed his lips, an uncertainty in his eyes. “Dr. Mimir wants...” He shook his head. “Nevermind.”</p>
<p>“Dr. Mimir wants?”</p>
<p>Loki took a breath. “Dr. Mimir wants me to start using one of these. To write down my thoughts at the end of each today. What I was <em>thinking</em> and what I was <em>feeling</em>.”</p>
<p>“That's wonderful!”</p>
<p>“That's absurd.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Writing about my feelings? It's ridiculous. A waste of time.”</p>
<p>“Are those your critical thoughts?” Sigyn asked. “Or Odin's?”</p>
<p>Loki looked at her and sighed. “I don't know...it's hard to tell at times.”</p>
<p>Sigyn stepped closer, picking up the green journal. “Then I think you ought to try, if only to disentangle your own thoughts from his.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn't even know where to begin. All those blank pages.”</p>
<p>“You could start by just writing down things you observed each day,” Sigyn suggested. “Until you grow comfortable with it.”</p>
<p>Loki snorted. “What, like an adorable rabbit? Or Byleistr's horrific taste in sport blazers?”</p>
<p>“Why not? A few pages of random notes is a better than no journal at all,” Sigyn replied. “A small step is still a step. Progress is progress, you just need to try.”</p>
<p>“I don't know...”</p>
<p>The Buy One, Get One sticker beneath the journals gave Sigyn an idea. Her eyes settled on a journal with a deep blue and purple background. She picked it up to find iridescent whales and dolphins illustrated on the cover. “Well, I'm going with this one. Might as well pick one out for you, Loki, and get our money's worth.” She put her journal in her basket, indicating for Loki to do the same.</p>
<p>“You're starting one of you own?”</p>
<p>“Mm-hm.” Sigyn nodded. “Perhaps you'll feel less absurd if you know at least one other person who has one. And if I'm writing in my mine, you might feel more encouraged to use yours. Besides, I may benefit from it, too.”</p>
<p>Tentatively, Loki picked up the green journal. He looked it over one more time before gingerly placing it in the basket next to Sigyn's. “I'm not used to this,” he remarked. “Having help. I've always had to handle everything alone.”</p>
<p>Sigyn caressed his cheek. “You're not alone anymore.”</p>
<p>
  <b>*</b>
</p>
<p>The end of August brought with it a record-shattering heat wave that lingered for over a week, humidity that left the air so heavy, so thick the atmosphere itself seemed stuck. Beads of sweat popped up on one's forehead within seconds of walking outside. Ice cream and frozen drinks melted on contact. Air conditioners of all shapes and sizes struggled to keep up with the rising temperatures. Even wind chimes hung perfectly still in the stark, breeze-less air. Indoors offered little respite from the stifling, miserable heat. Most preferred to do little more than sit somewhere cool and dark until the worst of it passed, the heat sapped away far too much energy to do much else.</p>
<p>Of course, it was also time for Sigyn's move.</p>
<p>She pressed on despite the heat, spending much of her time in a frenzy of cleaning, packing, giving away unneeded items, address updating, and painting over any smudges on the walls, even those that were present when she moved in, just to be sure. She'd slowly started moving her belongings into Loki's condo, bringing a box or two of things each time she came over to ease some of the chaos for the big move. Despite the effort, so many more things remained to pack.</p>
<p>“Sigyn?” Mantis called from the kitchen. “Do you know who brought the scrubbing sponges?”</p>
<p>Sigyn poked her head from her bedroom, where she'd been packing up her books. Mantis stood in the hall, holding the two worn, fading sponges that had sat in the kitchen sink since moving in.</p>
<p>“Might have been Darcy?”</p>
<p>“Shall I put them in her corner?”</p>
<p>Sigyn crinkled her nose. “They've seen better days. I can't imagine she'd want them.”</p>
<p>Mantis nodded, tossing the sponges into the trash bag. Today she'd be moving out as well, and her brother and his friends were on their way to assist.</p>
<p><em>Fox on the run, you scream and everybody comes a-running- </em>Music blared from the sidewalk below the window. Mantis squealed, running down to the foyer.</p>
<p>Sigyn looked out the window, seeing Mantis greet two men and one woman coming out of an old van that had seen better days. She gave them all high-fives before warmly embracing the man with the maroon leather jacket and odd facial hair.</p>
<p>“Quill!”</p>
<p>“Hey, Mantis!”</p>
<p>Seconds later, the group burst through the door, already in the midst of some bickering. She deduced the other names of Mantis' new roommates, Drax and Gamora.</p>
<p>“Hi,” said Sigyn, taping up another box. “I'm Sigyn.”</p>
<p>Quill instantly perked up when she said her name.</p>
<p>“Sig. You're the one that's the librarian, right?”</p>
<p>“Well, I'm in school for library science,” Sigyn explained. “Librarian is the end goal, though.”</p>
<p>“Awesome. You like trivia?”</p>
<p>“Um, yeah, I do.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? You available Wednesday nights?”</p>
<p>“Um, after 6, usually. Why?”</p>
<p>“Awesome! Pub trivia. New thing at Valkyrie's. We got a spot open on our team. You in?”</p>
<p>“Oh? You want me to join you guys?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” said Drax. “Quill says because you are a librarian, you read many books. Therefore, your brain is full of useless facts that will give us an advantage.”</p>
<p>“Dude, I didn't say it...<em>quite</em> like that...”</p>
<p>“You did,” said Gamora.</p>
<p>“Those were your exact words,” added Mantis.</p>
<p>“Okay but seriously,” said Quill. “You should come.”</p>
<p>“Alright,” said Sigyn, heartened by the offer. “Why not?”</p>
<p>Sigyn resumed her packing, taping her dresser drawers shut for the journey.</p>
<p>A loud rumble from the street gave her pause. She peered out the freshly-scrubbed window to see a large, beat-up red pickup truck pull up the curb in front of her building. Thor, still feeling guilty over his behavior at the family dinner, had offered use of his truck and assistance with the move. Sigyn ran down to the foyer, waving Thor down as he looked over the houses.</p>
<p>“Where's Loki?”</p>
<p>“Preparing for your arrival,” Thor said, unloading his dolly from the truck bed. “Where are we starting?”</p>
<p>She lead Thor up the stairs, showing him into her small bedroom. “Just the rest of these things. And the bed and the mattress are being picked up by someone else later. We can just set it around the corner once we're done.” Cynthia's nephew would be moving into his first apartment in a few weeks, and was happy to take whatever furniture Sigyn wouldn't need anymore. Darcy had called dibs on the microwave, and Sigyn moved it to her corner. Darcy had left early that morning for her U-Haul to pack up the last of her stuff before heading to D.C.</p>
<p>Upstairs, they came upon Drax and Quill arguing over the right way to pick up the futon.</p>
<p>“Dude, you hold it up, let me guide,” said Quill.</p>
<p>“No, we must tilt it first,” said Drax, attempting to turn his end sideways.</p>
<p>“Not to worry, my friends,” Thor said, taking the end of the futon. “Allow me.” He lifted the futon over his shoulder and, with no trouble at all, carried it down the steps.</p>
<p>“Pfft,” Quill scoffed. “That's nothin.” With that, he gripped Mantis' bedframe, attempting to lift it up. With several grunts of effort, he managed to drag it a few feet out before stopping.</p>
<p>“You should wait for Thor,” said Drax. “He is stronger than you.”</p>
<p>“Nah, I got this,” Quill huffed, pushing again to no avail until Gamora gripped the other side of the bed.</p>
<p>“Ooh, moving party?” Darcy asked from the doorway. Behind her stood a tall, lanky fellow who looked profoundly confused.</p>
<p>“I'm Ian,” said Darcy's companion. “I'm in the same program as-”</p>
<p>“He's my mover,” said Darcy.</p>
<p>“Excellent,” said Thor, handing Ian a box of books. “Take these down to my truck.”</p>
<p>Ian nearly toppled from the sudden weight in his arms. “Um...”</p>
<p>“Well, mover, get movin'.” Darcy nudged Ian, who managed his way back down the steps with much more effort than Thor or Quill.</p>
<p>Mantis was the first to finish up. She set her keys on the kitchen counter, pausing to say goodbye to Sigyn.</p>
<p>“Taking off?”</p>
<p>Mantis nodded. “I am finished and we are ready.”</p>
<p>“It was great living with you,” Sigyn replied with a twinge of sadness. “Hope we can still meet up sometimes, if you're on campus.”</p>
<p>“We can compare schedules,” said Mantis. “I will be there sometimes.”</p>
<p>“And if all else fails, you can find me in the library.”</p>
<p>“And trivia? You'll come?”</p>
<p>“I'd love to,” said Sigyn. “Wednesday, right?”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“I'll see you then!”</p>
<p>The rest of the morning passed, with fewer and fewer boxes remaining the apartment, until the last few bits remained. Some of it cleaning supplies, most of it trash. Sigyn made her final trip up the stairs, looking over the emptied rooms. Perhaps she ought to sweep out the lingering dust, but she'd had enough of cleaning and clearing for the day. She still had to make the trip to the condo and unpack, her day not even halfway done.</p>
<p>She carefully checked every cabinet, every crevice, the bathroom, the closet, even the stove, to make sure nothing had been forgotten. Then she checked a second time, to be extra sure, before leaving her keys and new address on the kitchen counter.</p>
<p>With her former bedroom empty and all her items packed up and ready, Sigyn wasn't overcome with sadness as she'd expected. Her time here had ended, and now it was time to move on.</p>
<p>“So, playing house with Loki, huh?” said Darcy, setting her keys next to Sigyn's.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I think it'll be good,” Sigyn replied. “Off to D.C?”</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>“Well, good luck up there. We'll miss you.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you haven't seen the last of me.”</p>
<p>“Take good care of my microwave.”</p>
<p>“I'll think of you whenever I have a Hot Pocket.”</p>
<p>The two friends embraced one last time before Sigyn picked up her last little box and went back down the stairs, leaving the apartment behind for good. Thor waited in the truck, all the boxes and furniture packed and loaded up.</p>
<p>“I think we're ready,” Sigyn said, approaching the truck as Thor revved the engine.</p>
<p>“What the hell? Where are my sponges?” Darcy called from the apartment.</p>
<p>“Okay, we better go,” Sigyn said, hopping up into the truck. “Hurry!”</p>
<p>They drove along in silence for awhile as Thor drove to Loki's condo. Thor listened to a game on the radio, nodding with satisfaction over the scores. Sigyn cast a side-long glance at him, wondering what to say. She didn't know Thor at all, apart from his quick temper, and the prospect of interacting with him intimidated her, not knowing if an innocent comment might set him off.</p>
<p>When the game reached a commercial break, she took a breath.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said quietly. “For helping.”</p>
<p>Thor laughed. “Consider it a peace offering. I have been far less kind to you than you deserve.”</p>
<p>“You barely know me.”</p>
<p>“I know you seem to make my brother happy.”</p>
<p>Sigyn hesitated to say more, certain she'd be treading into sensitive waters. Loki wouldn't appreciate her talking to Thor about the more fraught aspects of their history, and didn't want to push her luck with Thor, at least not until he was no longer handling her boxes. Instead, she merely smiled as the game returned, staying quiet until they reached the condo.</p>
<p>“Darling,” Loki greeted her with a gentle kiss before ushering her inside. He gave Thor a quick nod. “Brother.”</p>
<p>From the drops of sweat along his brow, and the shifts in furniture placement, it seemed Loki had been hard at work that morning. The condo was spotlessly clean, and the armoire near the living area was open, revealing his belongings had been re-arranged to make room for hers. Even in the bedroom, the bed had been pushed into the center of the room instead of along the wall. He'd placed her tiny nightstand on her side of the bed, keeping his bedside table on his side.</p>
<p>Bit by bit, they unloaded the truck, bringing everything up to the condo. The process went much slower than at the apartment, slowed by waiting for the elevator and how high up the condo was from the parking garage, as well as the heaviness in Sigyn's legs and her shortening breath. Eventually, as the afternoon crawled on, they emptied the truck of Sigyn's belongings.</p>
<p>“Thor, did you want something to drink?” Sigyn offered once the last of her boxes came up. “I feel bad kicking you out after you helped all day.”</p>
<p>“Don't...” Loki muttered.</p>
<p>“I have somewhere to be, actually,” said Thor. He slid the boxes off his dolly and flopped on the couch for a moment, shirt wet with sweat. “I'm meeting Jane later.”</p>
<p>“Neat!” Sigyn chirped. “Hope it goes well.”</p>
<p>“Well, then, I'm sure you must be off, brother,” Loki said pointedly.</p>
<p>“Not until later,” said Thor, still seated.</p>
<p>“Surely you'd prefer not to meet her without having showered?” Loki tried again, clearing his throat.</p>
<p>Thor tilted his head. “Why?”</p>
<p>Loki scoffed. “Thor, Sigyn and I would like to get her settled in.”</p>
<p>Thor nodded. “Alright.” Yet still he did not move.</p>
<p>“And your assistance is no longer needed. So you're free to go.” Loki arched his brow and subtly nodded his head toward Sigyn.</p>
<p>When Thor still failed to take the hint, Loki switched from words to actions. “Darling, you look ravishing,” Loki purred, turning to Sigyn. He slid his arms all over her body, right in full view of Thor, and kissed her long and deep. “Shall I tell you, in exquisite detail, all the things we shall do in bed tonight?”</p>
<p>Thor blanched. In an instant he sprang up from the sofa. “I'll...um...see myself out,” he sputtered, grabbing the dolly. “Have fun.” He fled down the hall, leaving them alone at last.</p>
<p>Loki dropped his forehead against Sigyn's. “Finally,” he sighed with relief.</p>
<p>With Thor gone, Sigyn set about unpacking her remaining boxes, setting up in the kitchen as she put away her dishes and cups. She opened the silverware drawer and tried to add her spoons the ones Loki already had. It seemed they'd have an overabundance of spoons now, causing her some difficulty in closing the drawer.</p>
<p>She opened another box, the one with her teacups and coffee mugs, surveying the cabinets for a good spot to keep them. Opening the cabinet where Loki kept his, she feared there might not be quite enough space for hers.</p>
<p>“Loki?” Sigyn called. She hadn't seen him in some time, since she'd started her work in the kitchen. In fact, she realized now she didn't see a number of the boxes she'd brought over in the days prior to her move.</p>
<p>“In here, darling. Come see.”</p>
<p>“Loki?” She opened the door to the second door to her left. And what she saw stopped her in her tracks.</p>
<p>“Hello, darling,” Loki said, standing near the doorway, a few books in his hand and a hopeful look in his eyes. “Take a look at your new abode.”</p>
<p>Inside what had been the second bedroom, which Loki primarily used for storage, she found an antique writing desk, its rich oak polished and refurbished, with a new small lamp on top and a few of her supplies in the cubby holes and her laptop in the center. Next to it stood a similarly antique bookshelf, solid and sturdy yet elegant, with a number of her books and candles already displayed on it. In the corner by window, a burgundy velvet armchair and matching ottoman, so rich and plush it practically invited her to sit and relax in it. In the middle of the armchair sat her red panda plush Ginger, her favorite childhood toy.</p>
<p>“Loki...” Sigyn's voice trailed off. “This is...for me?”</p>
<p>“I hope I did not overstep,” said Loki. “But I wanted you to have a space of your own here, for your studies, for privacy. And some new furniture I thought you'd enjoy. And a few...familiar touches.”</p>
<p>“Ginger? How did you...”</p>
<p>“I may have gleaned a few things over the 4<sup>th</sup> of July. Cynthia was kind enough to send over your beloved red panda when she learned you were moving in with me.”</p>
<p>She looked over the new furniture, the exact type of rustic, inviting style she liked, built to last, with plenty of room. She ran her hand over the desk, looking over the drawers.</p>
<p>“Of course, you're not obligated to keep these pieces. We can exchange for something more to your liking if you'd prefer.”</p>
<p>“Loki, I don't think I could have found pieces that fit me better if I'd tried. I've wanted an actual desk for so long. And an upright bookshelf!” Sigyn replied, surveying the room. Her sandpiper painting from Hlesey lay against one of the walls and her side table/former desk sat near the armchair. All her. All for her.</p>
<p>Loki watched her. “Do you like it?”</p>
<p>“Loki, I love it!” Sigyn gushed, throwing her arms over Loki's shoulders. “Are you sure I'm worth it?”</p>
<p>“You are more than worth it, my love,” Loki replied, draped him arm over her. “I wanted you to know you have a place here, not just a guest among my things. This is your space too, as much as it is mine now. Your sanctuary. Where you belong.”</p>
<p>Their lips met. Sigyn kissed Loki back with a newfound passion, knowing he spoke the truth. She did belong here. She did belong with him. Her insecurities vanished under his embrace under the setting sun. The summer would end soon, but it brought with it one last gift: The start of something new.</p>
<p>Loki's lips neared her ear. “Welcome home.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to everyone who read/kudo'd/commented on this fic! Meant to have this finished over a month ago, but better late than never, right? See you for the next one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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